


Skein | The Duelist Kingdom

by UsagiSquared



Series: Skein [2]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Female Seto Kaiba in other words, Gender or Sex Swap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-18
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2019-06-28 13:23:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 233,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15708093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UsagiSquared/pseuds/UsagiSquared
Summary: Part 2 of Skein- Formerly collected as 'Skin' on FF.net | Jonouchi Katsuya will always keep his promises.He didn't factor the chances of freaky powers trying to get in the way of it though. Especially not the kind where he's seeing what no one else sees.





	1. Voyage to the Kingdom

In the depths of her soul, Seto Kaiba was presently a brilliant shade of red.

 

It was a situation she had never been in, something that had caught her completely off guard much to her distaste. "G-Gh!" The woman was (for once) completely shocked still, a multitude of information hitting her all at once. Earlier that week...

 

She'd wondered where Mokuba had gone. He hadn't visited her for a longer period of time than would usually pass, a slight chill falling over her near the end of it. That same day before the chill set in, she had heard rustling noises. ' _Find it,_ ' someone had been saying. _'Find it_!' Find what? What were they looking for? And besides all of that...

 

The woman narrowed her eyes, frowning. Her brother was missing now, 'kidnapped'. And Katsuya would pay dearly for it when she got out of there, she was certain. But for now...

 

Wh-What...

 

What did he just _do_! Her window had been closed of course, so she couldn't see. As it was nothing from her window was every really clear in the first place, no matter how much more she had been able to see as the days passed. But something had brushed against her lips... Something warm, and it smelled like...

 

The woman brought her fingers to her mouth for a moment, before shaking it off. Whatever! That wasn't the point right now! "M...Moron! Get back here!" That bastard! Calling her 'Seto-chan' all the time, convincing himself that he can just run off and get both himself and her brother killed!

 

...Though if he died, she told herself, she wouldn't mind, so long as her brother came back. She was sure of it. Still, the way he was acting, none of them would come back!

 

"Use your brain for once, MUTT!" Seto scowled, answered with silence just as she expected. Her blush died down, fists clenched as she grit her teeth. Moron... Moron! She turned back to her puzzle, blinking as a light from the remaining three pieces caught her eye. "...What..?" She knelt down, picking them up. The last three left... It was fairly obvious now that there was at least one piece missing. A 'base' for these three pieces, something that would connect all of the 'dots' so to speak. Though when she looked at the larger of the three, it looked as though that 'base' might not be needed for it. Whatever it would look like, it'd be big though; the puzzle resembled an orb with one eighth of the sphere cut out, and the pieces were absolutely minuscule in comparison to the chunk missing. She looked it over, frowning. "This piece..." 'Se' and 'Hito'... She knew this piece. It was the first one she'd found when she'd come here all that time before. Back when she hadn't remembered anything of herself. Seto snorted, fingering the piece as she thought back to that time. "Hn..." She was rather pathetic back then, wasn't she, going through the puzzle for no real reason. Then again...

 

What was she doing now..? Idly, she looked over the kanji on the piece again, eyes narrowed slightly. 'Rapids', 'Shallows', or even, in some context, 'chance'. It was coupled with the kanji for 'person'... And there were a few different ways to read that. The first kanji had only one typical, almost reflecting its stubborn nature; 'Se'. There were at least a few 'uncommon' readings however, those reserved for names. 'Kase' was one such reading. For the others however, there were many over all. 'To', 'Ri', 'Jin', 'Nin', 'Tari', and lastly the most common, 'Hito'. For the most part she had heard 'to', the common end to a boy's name. But today... 'Kaseri-chan', he had said. The same name from the cold memory...

 

The one that she could now hear in her earliest memories holding this. ' _In the end, 'Seto' suits you more_ '. What was that supposed to mean..? That was a boy's name wasn't it? Besides! They had the same meaning, didn't they? The same kanji? 'Seto'... That was what everyone from age 8 memories and up called her. Half of her life to one name, half to the other. "My name..." She stared at the puzzle piece, before nodding, expression serious. "My name..." Could it be..? Seto smirked, before closing her eyes in relief. "I think... I know what it is."

 

Without looking at the puzzle, which developed a small hole in the side, she clicked the piece into place. It stood tall, creating a division of sorts in the remaining space of the puzzle, leaving naught but a small 'divet' to connect whatever pieces were yet to come. Looking over her puzzle and remaining two pieces, she turned towards her 'window', watching as it opened. "Hurry up, Mutt," she muttered as she sat in her soul, wondering where the last piece would be. "I'll be waiting..." Somehow, she had no doubts whatsoever that both of them would come back.

 

* * *

 

It was Monday at last. He'd left for school feeling more than depressed, but in the end simply walking had picked him up enough to appear at least somewhat 'normal' by the time he got there. And now that school was on, Katsuya and the others sat around Yugi's desk, staring at the video camera that the 'soul tape' was inside.

 

Apparently, Yugi had spent the weekend fishing the camera out so that he didn't have to just leave the old man in his television. As it was, they were all keeping a close eye on that camera. The image of Yugi's grandfather was on the screen, the man still attempting to tell the others that he felt fine and wasn't going to disappear anytime soon. And of course, he had to add fire to the situation when Yugi had asked about Mokuba...

 

Who he explained was missing after that particular fact...

 

And that didn't help the situation at all. Katsuya hadn't even asked Yugi about the starchips yet. And really, without that question the prospect of Mokuba being gone was frightening enough. They turned as the only one out of the loop on this came in, smiling widely. Ahhh... Ignorance was bliss indeed. This was going to suck.

 

"Good morning everybody," he called out, Honda muttering a 'hey'. As the teen blinked at the response, Anzu managed to force out a more 'cheery' 'good morning..', Katsuya and Yugi not even really bothering. The albino stood there, confused as the general feeling of gloom sat around them. "Erm... What's wrong... What's the matter you guys?" He looked around, the others merely turning to look at the video camera. The teen walked over, still attempting to instill at least a bit of cheer into the otherwise uncharacteristic depression. "Hnn?" Bakura leaned over, looking at the screen. "What are you watching Yugi?"

 

"Hohoooo!" Katsuya could see Yugi's grandfather look up from inside the screen, bowing slightly. "You're Bakura aren't you? Good morning!" Needless to say, watching the teen reel back in shock was mildly amusing. Almost enough to make him lighten up a bit as the boy asked if it was a video phone (to which Yugi bluntly stated no, his grandfather really WAS stuck). Almost.

 

Really, no amount of cheer could successfully bring their moods up at the moment. That much was clear. "I know it's hard t' believe," he said as he followed Bakura's gaze to the camera again, "But Yugi lost a game 'f duel monsters t' a video recording made by th' creator of th' game..." Pegasus... Though now that he thought about it, this guy had to use subliminal messages, mind reading, and a time limit to beat him... Which was really rather pathetic to tell the truth. "Dude had a millennium item and... 'E used 'is power t' put 's grandpa's soul in this video tape..."

 

Yugi sighed, staring at the tape as the feeling of gloom settled over the group again. Silence fell in the room, and even as the classroom filled that silence persisted. "I don't know what to do," he finally muttered, his grandfather turning to him. "What happens if he can't get back to normal..."

 

"Hey hey," The old man shouted, voice sounding slightly distorted by the camera. "Don't talk about me as though I'm not here now," he continued, the others jumping at the words. "I'm doing just fine in here! Don't you be getting all depressed now!" Hahaha, the one in the most danger was giving them a pep-talk...

 

Not a very good pep-talk, but all the same he was the only one doing it. And he had a point too, he thought to himself. "Gramps is right," he said as he cracked his knuckles. Man had a point- if they didn't focus, then nothing would get fixed, right? "Gettin' depressed isn't gonna solve anything! Got it?" Besides. Things didn't get done when they were depressed. And...

 

Well, if they ever needed _something_ to get done... Yugi nodded, smiling slightly. "Right!" The smile widened, before dropping to a near non-existent state. "...I guess I'm alright," he continued, before looking at the puzzle sadly. As the class continued to fill, he made to put the camera in his back, hurriedly apologizing to his grandfather as the old man told him it was fine. Zipping the bag back up, he fingered the puzzle and resumed his stare at the object. "But the other me..."

 

Behind him, Anzu blinked. "Heh..? You've learned to talk to your alter ego?" Alter ego? That was a new one but hey, sounded better than 'other Yugi'...

 

The boy laughed, shaking his head. "It's not like that! I can't speak to him with words... But," he continued, closing his eyes and unconsciously putting a hand over the pendant, "If I close my eyes, I can sense what he's feeling..." So... That was how it worked then. As he drifted into thought on that, the others nodded. "So he's depressed then," Honda said, crossing his arms as he sat on one of the desks. He nodded again. "Yeah... I think he feels bad about losing to Pegasus..." That would probably be an understatement...

 

Speaking of feeling though. Katsuya stared, before briefly wondering how the 'other Yugi' heard any of this. What was it, he was the puzzle now? Could he just hear things from inside there, hell, he was a soul... Maybe... He grabbed a notebook from the desk, rolling it up into a makeshift megaphone and aiming it at the puzzle. "OI OTHER YUG'! CAN YA HEAR ME? CHEER UP!"

 

"H-HAH!" Yugi jumped, before laughing at the action as his friend merely smirked. The others as well snickered at the action, though Bakura merely gave a soft smile and shook his head. "J-Jonouchi-kun, I don't think it works like that..." Eh, it was worth a shot.

 

He shrugged, putting the notebook down before his expression grew more serious. "That aside... If y' wanna save your Grandad, it looks like we've gotta get back at Pegasus..." And he would do it with his fists. And his foot. Possibly both. All. At once. (However that would work.)

 

The boy nodded in response. "Yeah... That's what he said, 'Come to my Kingdom '..." As Bakura and Honda both raised their eyebrows at the statement, neither of them having been there to see the tape, he continued. "He said that's where they're going to crown the 'King of Duel Monsters'..."

 

Anzu nodded, frowning slightly. "The Duelist Kingdom... The only problem with all of this is that we have no idea where it is..."

 

As the table fell silent again, Bakura blinked, turning to Katsuya. "You said Pegasus has a Millennium Item, didn't you..?" Hn?

 

He snorted. "Not just has... He dug out his _eye_ to put it in!" The teen visibly looked a little paler at that, and it took Katsuya a moment to steel his thoughts. Hihhh... Sticking an old gold eye in a spot where there was already a real one. That was just something that would fuel his nightmares for weeks to come it was. As to what that had to do with the 'where' in all of this...

 

Unless he was hinting at Egypt. Because that could be a bit of a problem. The boy nodded. "So then... Perhaps, if you go to this kingdom, you'll find out the secret of the Millennium items..." He grabbed his bag, unzipping it before pulling something out. "Like my ring..." As he pulled it out, Katsuya jerked back with a loud shout.

 

"HRAAH! You still have that thing!" What the hell! That thing was dangerous! There was no way they could be safe even within a few hundred feet of it, they were good as _dead_ with that thing here! The others as well had a similar reaction, jerking back with wide eyes. "T-That thing ain't safe!"

 

The albino stared, frowning slightly. "It's okay..! As long as I'm not wearing it, it's just a piece of jewellery..." As the others continued to keep a good distance from it, they let him continue. "My father told me he bought this from an antique shop in Egypt... But as you know, there's another personality within it, like Yugi's puzzle..." He zipped the ring back in his bag, frowning a little more. "What I want to do most is find out the secrets of those items... 'Who made them', 'how do they work', 'what are they for'?" He turned to the others, the questions briefly grabbing Katsuya's curiosity as well. "I'm almost certain that Pegasus knows the answer!" Hnn... That...

 

Made sense actually. The man did know his way around the eye... Not to mention he created Duel Monsters. At that exact moment, Yugi stood from his desk, the others blinking. He had a fairly neutral expression in place, stepping around from his chair and pushing it in before moving past the others. Anzu frowned slightly, watching as he headed off leave the room. "Ah... What are you doing, Yugi?"

 

The boy turned, blinking. "Sorry... I'd like to be alone for a while..." He coughed, shaking his head. "Well, not me, I mean... The other me..." He left, Katsuya watching with a raised eyebrow. What a mess- One side wants one, one wants the other, what was going to happen if they ever got in some kind of weird argument? Or even a 'not so weird' one? Like what if it was serious or-

 

A few moments later, he sighed. Now that he thought about it, this was probably the best time to ask about the Pegasus issue. Class would start soon, so seeing how no one else would be there... He headed out as well, the others blinking. "Jonouchi-kun," Anzu said with a frown. "You too?"

 

He nodded. "Yeah... Jus' need t' think..." With that he left the classroom, the others shrugging and leaving it as it was. Yugi would definitely help. He just wished he didn't have to ask. Walking through the school, it wasn't hard to find the 'Other Yugi'; at least not nearly as hard as he expected.

 

Particularly since he was pretty sure anyone within ten feet of the roof heard him. "PEGASUS!" Katsuya made his way upstairs, opening the door to the roof and keeping back for a few moments. 'Yugi' gripped the fence tightly as he stood there, head lowered slightly in anger and misery both. One could practically feel the wind swirling around the teen in response to his mood; it was actually a little frightening, and as someone who fought as much as he did...

 

That was really saying something. As 'Yugi' turned around to go back to the roof, Katsuya scratched his head and moved out from the door. "Hey... Yug'... I know y' wanted t' be alone but.." The teen blinked, looking over his friend a moment before nodding.

 

He'd pulled back a slight expression of calm, or at least calm for him. "It's fine... I was about to return to class anyways..." As 'Yugi' moved to leave the roof however, he frowned; Katsuya was blocking his way, looking rather hesitant about something. "Jonouchi?"

 

"I..." He pulled out both the glove that Pegasus had sent him and a video camera he'd snatched from security back at the mansion. He'd had them in his hands for a while actually... Only put them down to try the notebook-megaphone thing before. The teen bit his lip, before finally speaking. "I need yer help..."

 

For a moment, his friend stared at the things, silent. One could practically hear the thoughts of 'both Yugi's, contemplating what this meant. The stare continued with narrowed eyes, before 'Yugi' nodded. "Pegasus... He did the same thing to you then?" The same- Ah... The soul-tape deal.

 

Katsuya shook his head. "Nah... Hate t' say it but..." The teen paused, opening the side of the camera up so that Yugi could see the screen. "I almost wish he did..." He turned the camera on, allowing the tape to play though the message and the static both. As Yugi watched in silence, frowning as it cut off to nothing but grey, buzzing 'snow' after Shizuka's message, the blond continued. "After her message, he came on th' screen... Pokin' fun about Shizuka's condition, an' about..." He looked, biting his lip. 'Key bearer' he'd said. They probably took him with the thought that he had the key, but if Pegasus knew that was false now...

 

While he thought of this, 'Yugi's eyes widened with realization, the teen clenching his fists. "Mokuba... That's where he is, isn't he?" Got it in one. He sighed, taking a seat.

 

"I don' know for sure, but it's th' best shot I've got... Damn it..." The blond scowled, turning the camera off. "Takin' advantage of my sister's blindness... An takin' Mokuba as well... An' it's my fault..." At Yugi's confused and narrowed stare, he reached into his shirt to pull out the pendant. The plastic box gleamed in the sun, faded outline of the key clearly visible to his friend. "Pegasus... I don' know why, but he wants this key... I didn' know what it was, but Mokuba obviously found it important... An' given tha' Pegasus thinks th' same..." He opened the box, pulling the key out and handing it to his friend. Pegasus knew he had it... But he wouldn't know Yugi had it! "Yug... Y' gotta help me! Pegasus all but said he'd kill 'm if I didn' show, but I can't let 'm get this key! I don' know why, but I jus get this feeling... That no matter what happens, I can't let 'm find it!"

 

'Yugi' stared at Katsuya for a few moments, frowning. A key... He took the small metal object, twirling in his fingers for a few seconds before pocketing it. "...I understand Jonouchi," he said, before looking up to the blond with his stern gaze. "I won't let it happen!"

 

The teen smiled, sighing with relief. That took a load off... "Thanks man..." As Yugi moved to go downstairs, the blond moving to the side this time, he grabbed his shoulder. Right. Couldn't forget this part either... "Ah... One more thing..."

 

He turned, blinking. "Hn? What is it?" The blond rubbed his head, before stowing his glove in his bag.

 

"Those star-chips... Competitors need at least one t' participate..." Hell, they probably wouldn't let him on otherwise... "...I... I don' wanna lower yer chances in the tournament but..." Katsuya blinked as 'Yugi' handed him one of the chips with no complaint, smiling. He was carrying them with him? ...Wait... He was just giving it to him! "Yugi..."

 

"We're both in this," The teen stated seriously. "And the fact is, neither of us entered with the goal of winning for the sake of winning." That was true... As Katsuya took the chip and pocketed it, 'Yugi' continued. "Which ever one of us moves forward in this tournament will put an end to this; if it's you, I know you'll free my grandfather's soul... And if it's me, you can count on my aid in getting both the money for Shizuka's surgery and in getting Mokuba out of there." Alright then! Katsuya stood there for a few seconds, before nodding. They were both in this. No enemies among them!

 

"Yeah! It's a deal!" Little did he know that this wouldn't be the only deal he had to make.

 

* * *

 

"Fucking pains in the asses... 'yer only livin' here t' work', I pay rent outta my paycheck anyways, since when did this matter!" Katsuya grumbled, carrying a suitcase of clothes down the street as he continued cursing the 'new management' over the hired help.

 

Apparently, (Most likely due to Mokuba's absence) he wasn't allowed to stay in the house unless he was working his required days. At least that was what the current member of KaibaCorp running the house, 'Daimon Kogoro'- who had managed to hold a position as an assistant to Seto even when the woman hired Isono instead- had told him when he tried to enter the house. ' _Don't worry, everything will be right here where you left it- after all, you're only taking vacation for a week right?_ ' Lousy pain in the ass 'big 5'. 'Big' was right, described the stick in each of their pasty little pie holes!

 

The teen continued to grit his teeth as he moved down the street, seething. He just knew that his stuff was searched through. They'd jumped all too quick at the opportunity to pack his stuff up while he was at school, and with that excuse out of the way, anything he left at the house would have been inaccessible. It made him considerably relieved that he'd given the key to Yugi really. Who knew what would have happened otherwise. Katsuya sighed again, scratching his head as he made his way

towards Yugi's house. Hopefully he wouldn't mind him coming over...

 

Heck, worse case scenario, Honda's sister- Honda's parents had died a few years ago, so his sister took up care- had told him he was 'welcome anytime'... Actually, he'd have gone over there if not for the fact that he felt like he could talk about a few more things with Yugi than Honda. Mostly because all of them centred around this entire key and tournament issue, but nonetheless. At least the game shop was in sight now.

 

"Hey Yugi," he shouted, making it down the road just as the boy was opening his door. The boy turned, blinking. "Yugi! Hang on a sec!"

 

"Jonouchi-kun..." He looked over the bags, frowning. "Jonouchi-kun, what happened..?" He shrugged, giving a false smile.

 

"'S nothin'... Bastards that got hold 'f Kaiba's company gave me the boot for th' week, sayin' that since I wasn' working right now I wasn' allowed t' stay at th' house." The blond snorted, before looking at the boy. "If it's alright with y'... C'n I stay here th' week? I'll pay yah back, I swear! It's jus'..."

 

Yugi smiled, nodding. "Of course you can stay! I'll have to ask my mom, but until then consider it done!" Best friend ever... _Ever._ He turned to the door, opening it. "Come on in, I want to show you something." Show him something?

 

He blinked, before nodding. Alright then... As they walked in, Katsuya leaving his stuff by the door, Yugi led the blond into the kitchen. Taking a seat at the table, Katsuya watched as his friend pulled out five cards from an envelope. Come to think, he'd been looking at an envelope when he'd arrived... "Eh..?" The cards were spread out, and he frowned. "What are these..?"

 

"From what I can tell, these are the invitation cards," Yugi began, looking at each one carefully. "They were delivered today... Look." He held them out before Katsuya, before continuing. "Each one tells you a little bit about the Duelist Kingdom. First," he began, holding out the card 'Voyage to the Kingdom'. The card had a month, a date, a time, and a location on it... Beneath the image of a ship. "This one tells us when and where to board the boat to take us there..." Katsuya nodded, getting what it meant.

 

"Right... So end of this week, 9:30 at th' pier." Wow... That was cutting it close. He didn't think that it was literally 'a week'. Yugi nodded, grabbing the next card. "Next is the Duelist Kingdom card... There's an island on it, so this is probably the location we'll be at!" The island itself seemed fairly diverse, and had various labels as well... Beach, mountain, wasteland, forest, 'ocean'... And... Wait, was that a volcano! (What was with this island!)

 

As the boy put the card down, Katsuya grabbed the next one. "Duelist's Glove..." He frowned as he read the information on it. "All duelists must have at least one star chip on their wrist band at all times..." He snorted, while his friend pulled out the glove and single star chip he had. Figured... Though at least none of these said anything about not bringing people outside the competition; from what Honda was saying earlier that day, he'd have tried stowing away in a crate if he had to. "These chips must be proof of your status as duelist," he said as he put them back in the box, the chip

clipping into the slot on the glove. Better to store them there, where it wasn't likely to be lost really...

 

"We'll probably bet these chips on our duels... And for the last ones.."

 

Katsuya looked them over, nodding. "Th' Honor of th' King's right, and th' Honor of th' King's left..." The first was labelled simply as 'great wealth', the image of immense riches there. From what he could tell, that would definitely cover Shizuka's eyes; not a bad bonus in addition to busting Mokuba out. The second card however... Was completely blank. Nothing but question marks beneath it.

 

Yugi nodded. "The Honor of the King's right is probably the prize money... But this other one..." The boy frowned, pulling a face. "Some secret honour that the 'King of Games' can only get... I think..."

 

With Pegasus, it was hard to tell really; for all they knew it was some sort of trick card. The blond leaned back on his chair, sighing. "Man... What a mess..." Rubbing his head, he attempted to get some sort of positive feeling about all of this. "Right. One week till we leave..." Katsuya turned to Yugi, gaining a more severe look. "We're gonna need to go at this with all we've got! Let's spend this week trainin' for th' tournament!" Or... At least train him... Yugi was the master at this really.

 

Yugi nodded. "Yeah! Here, I'll help you with your deck!" Aha, see, he knew it too! The boys herded up the cards on the table, before setting things up for the evening. Honestly... If it hadn't been for the situation that got him there, Katsuya would have said that that night went pretty well.

 

* * *

 

Regardless of whether or not thoughts through the week were positive or negative, the time until departure passed quicker than expected. Tuesday through Friday the blond had spent any free time he had working with those cards, attempting to learn his way around as many spells and traps as possible. In his opinion, he wasn't doing too bad...

 

Then again, that could just be him. Walking to the pier Katsuya and Yugi were followed by Anzu, Bakura, and Honda as well, the three looking around in the silence with frowns. "It's awfully quiet," Bakura said hesitantly as he looked around. "...Is there really supposed to be a ship out here..?"

 

His friend nodded, Yugi pulling out his 'voyage' card to double check. "The date on the ticket card is tonight... There's no mistaking it!" Besides, they hadn't hit the ocean yet. So really...

 

Katsuya nodded, before turning around the next building and freezing. "Nh! There it is!" Coming into view just now the immense ship floated before them, its hull towering over the group of people waiting at its side. "Th' ship..." And what a group it was... There were at least 40 people there!

 

"Wow..." They walked forwards into the crowd, watching as people all about them compared cards and chatted away. "All these people..!" Most seemed to be around their age as well, it appeared. And a lot of them looked like they wouldn't hold in a fist fight. Katsuya found himself thinking a bit about the stereotype of it all, quietly observing that there were far more boys than girls in the lot on top of it.

 

He almost wondered what Seto would say... But it would probably be nothing. Bakura blinked as they walked through, noting the cards that a majority were holding at the moment. "They've got the same cards we have..."

 

Beside him, Yugi nodded. "They've been invited too," he said with a smile. "They're duelists like us!" Briefly, Katsuya looked at the boy incredulously. In other words 'rivals'... Not exactly friendship

material if they were going to be fighting to get to the end! "Look," he cried, snapping him from his thoughts. The boy pointed towards a few faces in the crowd, eyes wide "Over there!" Katsuya stared, shaking his head.

 

"That insect dude who won th' last tournament..!" Insector Haga. The bespectacled boy looked over their way, glasses gleaming oddly in the moonlight before he vanished behind a group of people. He looked through the crowd as another 'familiar face' appeared, swallowing. "And th' runner up.." Also in the crowd stood Dinosaur Ryuuzaki, the teen currently looking around with a fairly calm if not expectant gaze. The blond gulped. "Man, tough crowd..."

 

Again his attention was taken, as up on the ship a man that Katsuya recognized with a chilled feeling of dread appeared up on the top.. "Attention Duelists," he shouted, Katsuya clenching his fists as the man Kaiba had previously hired for his security stood on the ship. "Industrial Illusions welcomes you to this event! We researched your tournament records, and even unofficial duels," Saruwatari continued, Katsuya mentally snorting at the hidden message in 'unofficial', "And handpicked the best duelists of Japan! The star named GLORY shines above your heads, and any one of you could reach it!" Man was either given a prepared speech, or damn good with his words. "Now is the time duelists," he continued to shout. "Come across the seas and reach for that light! To the Duelist Kingdom!"

 

As the crowd cheered a young blond woman standing next to them laughed loudly, Katsuya idly noting that each of her breasts were about the size of his head. Huge would almost be an insult- and she seemed to realize it, given how she dressed despite the weather.

 

"AHAHAHAA!" She continued to laugh, those around her looking with confusion or lust- or both. He himself found himself left with blank confusion- though it was not only because of the laughter. "It's like a pep rally for little kids," she said with a smirk, before narrowing her eyes in mirth. "Then again, most of the people here are children! Ahahahaaa~ Pity... I haven't seen any real competition yet..."

 

Honda and Yugi both stared with wide eyes, Katsuya blinking a few times as he did a double take. "What a _babe_ ," Honda shouted with a red-faced stare.

 

"S-She's a duelist too," Yugi asked with a thick blush, Katsuya merely staring. Maybe it was because it'd been a while since he and Yugi had exchanged tapes or something but... Man. This was weird...

 

He swore that a year ago he'd have the same reaction but... Somehow this wasn't doing anything to grab that attention from him! Mentally he wondered if that had anything to do with a certain 'other' woman he knew... As he disappeared into thought however, the blond completely missed whatever the woman said as she left. _Was_ it because of that? Hell... There was no comparing Seto to this lady, that was for sure...

 

He continued pondering this, only snapping out of his thoughts when being elbowed by Honda. "Dude! Did you see the size of those?" Katsuya blinked, before putting up a fake grin. If Honda thought there was someone who'd caught his eye already he'd never hear the end of it damn it... And it had been hard enough with Yugi! "Haha... Yeah! 'Bout th' size 'f my head!" As he pretended to laugh, he watched the woman continue to disappear.

 

"My name is Kujaku Mai," she said with a flirtatious tone, giving them a wink before turning again. "I'll see you later... Boys~"

 

As Honda and Yugi both continued inhaling the perfume scent left behind with dreamy expressions on his faces, he shook his head. "Man... What a woman..."

 

Anzu appeared to have far more negative thoughts on this entire interaction, glaring at the boys. "You _morons_ ," she shouted, crossing her arms. Ignoring the expressions Yugi and Honda both had, she'd probably completely missed what he meant by 'what a woman'. It wasn't a good thing... "I swear, you all hit on anything with breasts!" Hey, why was she grouping him with those guys...

 

"Ahehehe... C'mon Anzu..." Katsuya shook his head, before turning to the ship. Change the subject, change the subject... "Let's get on board, alrigh'?" Just please don't yell at them...

 

Beside him, Yugi nodded, having snapped out of his perfume induced haze. "Yeah! Let's go!" They hurried onto the ship, climbing up the boardwalk and soon coming to rest along the main railing at the side. With all the people heading inside right now, it'd be best to wait a little before doing so themselves- as it was they were lucky to have been allowed 'guests' at all, though why they were so lenient about that was a good question. The rest of the crowd also waited along the deck, a majority of the doors within apparently sealed off. Quiet chatter filled the deck and few moments later the sound of the ship's horn was released, loud and blaring as it took off into the sea at a relatively decent pace. It was late in the evening now...

 

The darkness was endless. Katsuya stared out, those around him following his gaze in silence. Completely endless, save for the slowly disappearing lights of Tokyo on the shore. 'Mokuba...' His eyes grew distant as he leaned against the railing. A year ago, if he'd never met that kid... He'd be the same but not really, he supposed. Maybe Yugi was right about him being 'different'. Sure he didn't know how but...

 

Well, had it been just him, if he'd gotten that tape, he'd probably just be here for the money to pay for Shizuka's eyes. Hell, he wouldn't have even been able to spend the summer, so who knew what that would have changed about the video! ' _Wait for me... I'll put my life on the line... And I'll not only save my sister's eyes, but I'll save you! Even if I don't win, I guarantee it! So wait for me..._ '

 

Just stay alive, just a little longer... "Attention everyone," came a voice from behind the crowd. Katsuya turned with a blank stare as Saruwatari addressed them, idly wondering if he'd be disqualified for punching him through the skull. ...He probably would. "I will now show you to your rooms; please, follow me!" Well, that was at least one good thing about tonight. Ship this big, the rooms had to be at least decent... He followed along in the crowd, before staring at the large cushioned floor they were brought to. Hang on what? No way... No fucking way!

 

"You gotta be kiddin' me," he shouted, looking at the room with a glare. "Whatdya mean, we're all sleepin' here!"

 

Honda nodded from behind, glaring. "Yeah, come on! Don't we at least get beds?" Or futons even? Sleeping bags perhaps, rather than a cold matted floor? Sheesh, didn't Pegasus care about his competitors getting there alive?

 

The guard stood there, coughing slightly. "Only the finalists from the last tournament have been given private rooms," he began, Katsuya opting to ignore him as he rolled his eyes and went to put his things

to the side of the room. God damn it... He didn't even have a sleeping bag on him, what the hell...

 

Well, he could probably use his bag for a pillow he supposed. He looked around the room, fingering his deck before blinking. Hang on... The teen's eyes widened as he scanned his future competition, blinking. Everyone in the room was trading cards... And if he could get a few trades in himself... Katsuya grinned, weaving his way through the crowd as he pulled out his deck. Approaching one of the duelists, the person in question turning as he came near, his grin grew even larger. "Hey... What cards yah got? Wanna trade?"

 

* * *

 

Maybe this night would be better than he thought, he decided a number of minutes later. Got a few new cards, sorted out his deck... Heck, like Yugi was saying as they took up 'residence' in a corner of the room, this was like a sleepover!

 

"Ahhh..." They walked back out on deck, giving Yugi some time to talk to his grandfather through the camera. After all... Wouldn't want that particular weakness to come out right? "Feel that cool ocean air!~" As he leaned against the railing, a voice from the side caught his attention. "...Hn..?"

 

It was that bug guy, what was his name... 'Haga', right? Insector Haga, what was he doing here instead of inside? Hell, they had their own rooms (Not. Fair.) from what he'd heard from the others. He tensed as Yugi handed the boy his five exodia cards to show, biting his lip. Please don't do what he thought was going to happen, please _please please-_ AUUUUUUUGH.

 

Watching with wide eyes as they were thrown over the side of the ship, he tossed his jacket to the ground with narrowed eyes. "Shit!" He jumped off, growling. Damn it... Those were Yugi's trump cards! The cards that could well mean his grandpa's life, Mokuba's life, Shizuka's eyes... They could. Not. _Lose. Those. Cards_! "I'll get those cards Yugi, no worries!" He could hear the shouts from the others as he hit the water, swimming to the surface with a cough. The blond turned through the water, grabbing wildly as he attempted to look around for the cards in the darkness. Where were they...

 

The water was identical in colour to the sky, and it was pure luck really that the cards floated. One... He heard shouts above to grab rescue equipment, the blond continuing to search fruitlessly. The water was frigid and rough, tossing him about more than the volley ball or even his opponents during judo in Gym class. Two... Maybe they were underwater... He dove down, squinting as he ignored the sting of the ocean water on his eyes. Where...

 

Where... As the ring landed, he looked around and surfaced, gasping for breath. Two...

 

He could only find two. Grabbing the life-ring Katsuya allowed himself to be reeled in, scowling darkly. There were five cards meant to complete Exodia, and he'd only found two. He continued to cough as he clambered back on the deck, taking the towel that was handed to him while sending a narrowed glare to Haga. Bastard... He'd be first to go in the tournament, guarantee...

 

Getting to sleep that night wasn't easy, knowing there were thieves like that brat on board. But even as he rolled over, he convinced himself to do it anyways. After all... Tomorrow was day one of the tournament- and after that, it was only a matter of time before they came across Pegasus. They needed all the sleep they could get...

 

Lives depended on it.

 

 


	2. On Your Mark!

"Ahh... Ahh... A-CHEH!"

 

Katsuya sniffed as the walkway from the ship was lowered on the island, rubbing his nose for what felt like the hundredth time. Thanks to the lack of blankets and general heat the night before, his still slightly damp state ended up leaving him with a cold. As he and the others walked off the ship, his friends giving him slightly worried glances, he really, really wished it hadn't happened like that. His head hurt, and he couldn't breath through his nose, and.. And...

 

Auu _uughhh_ he was still having the shivers damn it! Yugi, currently the 'other Yugi', turned to him worriedly. For some reason the two had switched out the moment the boat arrived on the island. He wasn't going to question it though- it probably saved them the trouble of going back and forth between games, given the absolute look of vengeance 'Yugi' had on the school roof the week before. Thankfully that wasn't the look he had right now.

 

"I'm sorry Jonouchi," the teen said with slightly narrowed eyes, turning to look at his friend. "Because you went after my cards, you're-"

 

The blond quickly shook him off, wiping his nose before grinning. "Aww this? This is nothin'! After a year 'f broken arms an' ribs, this is great!" Now that he thought about it, there were bigger issues at hand. Much bigger... Besides, it wasn't so much of a cold that he'd gotten as it was a stuffed nose. So, no big deal, it'd likely disappear in a few hours. Hopefully. As he said this his expression shifted to a glare again, having spotted Haga somewhere in the crowd. "What really ticks me off," he continued, "Is th' asshole who threw yer best cards in th' ocean in the first place!"

 

At those words Yugi appeared to look off into the crowd, the two watching as Haga gave them an odd stare and vanished back into the horde of people.

 

"All duelists head towards the castle for an important announcement," Saruwatari shouted from the front, the group turning back to face him as they were led from the docks to the castle itself. The island itself was probably only a few kilometers wide- Not much of a big deal. What was a big deal however, was the building that was coming up in their sights right now. From behind Honda and Anzu stared in shock, the rest of the group apparently unfazed by the image of an enormous western style castle up ahead.

 

"It's really a castle," Honda was muttering as he scratched his head. The castle stood tall and proud before them, and they stared with wide eyes. "Man... Pegasus has some strange tastes..." The man had a habit of adding 'boy' at the end of half their names, and they commented on his castle?! There was probably stranger in there if he wanted to think about it.

 

He found he didn't want to, however. "Upon arriving, place wait in front of the gates," Saruwatari's voice continued as they came near. "We will now explain the rules!" A balcony sat almost directly above and in front of them, and within a few moments Pegasus stood before them. Tch...

 

That man... He looked down at them all, smiling from behind the curtain of silver hair he had. "Welcome everyone," Pegasus said over the crowd's mutterings. "Welcome, to Duelist Kingdom!" As Katsuya glared upward the man continued, still holding that genuine smile that got on his every

nerve. "Allow me to explain the rules of this VERY SPECIAL tournament," he shouted, the blond below snorting. 'Special'. That was one way to put it. 'L _ets kidnap those closest to the people we really, really want in this tournament and use them as blackmail... That way we're bound to win_!' Well Yugi would show them!

 

(And so would he. But while Yugi had the cards, he had his knuckles.)

 

"The duels will take place with official duel monsters cards only, of course!" Of course... Because hey, the name 'duel monsters' didn't say that right? Besides, why would someone bother with fake cards? "I hope you brought your most powerful decks! Of course, if you're not completely confident, you are allowed to trade with one another..." They'd already been doing that though... What would have happened if they couldn't?

 

(And how would they know..?)

 

He chuckled, holding out a glove and a starchip. "Each of you should have already recieved a duel glove and two starchips, correct?" That or a duel glove and no starchips... "At this time, please put the glove on your right hand!" There was the noise of a few shuffles, the crowd rummaging through their bags for the items. Katsuya himself pulled his on before turning back up to listen with narrowed eyes, his only star chip already clicked into place on the side. "On the glove," Pegasus continued, seeming to look over Katsuya and Yugi a brief moment. "You should find ten crevices where you can place star chips. Please, insert your two star chips into them now."

 

Another shuffle as a series of clicks were heard. Yugi and Katsuya both sent each other a look, having both done that before arriving. Saying nothing in the end, they wound up looking over the crowd again before continuing to listen.

 

"These stars are essentially your life as a duelist! Whenever you duel in this tournament, you must stake one or more chips on the outcome!" As there was more muttering around them, Katsuya clenched his fist. Alright then. All or nothing- they absolutely had to win their first duel, or everything would be for naught! "The duels can take place anytime, anywhere, throughout the kingdom," Pegasus continued, the blond's attention turned forwards. "The first duelists to win ten starchips will win the honours of entering the castle! Only they will have a chance at the prize! The duels will begin in exactly one hour," he stated as he crossed his arms. "The time limit for the event is 48 hours! One the time limit runs out, those with less than ten star chips will be eliminated," He declared, expression growing a little more frightening and a little less welcoming. "They will be declared losers and deported from the island IMMEDIATELY!" Errr... Wasn't there only one boat? How was that going to work..? "Now duelists! I pray for your success!"

 

With that Pegasus left, Katsuya holding back another snort at those last words. People were already beginning to file out of the area to explore the island as he stood there, frowning. Yeah... He was praying alright. Probably for Yugi and himself to lose horribly. Now then...

 

Anytime, anywhere right? So that made the entire island fair game, for a full two days. A lot of time to go from one end to the other really. Briefly, Katsuya thought back to what he'd heard earlier about 'new rules'. Aside from that Pegasus hadn't actually said anything, leaving both himself and everyone else in the unknown. They couldn't be that different though, not really, could they? Those thoughts continued to sit on the back of his mind, even an hour later as they wandered the grounds. At which point one loud and long ' _LET THE DUELING BEGIN_ ' could be heard around the island.

 

It was time.

 

"Okay," Honda was saying as they wandered the island. "Let's check this place out!" The island itself seemed to be filled with... Everything really, at least in terms of land. Volcano, beach, lake, forest... It was an interesting mix of regions, and as they looked they could see a fair number of people using their 'Island' card as a map. As to the actual dueling...

 

There wasn't any just yet. Katsuya had a feeling that Yugi had a particular person in mind really, not that he or the others minded. If anything, this was a nice break from school. Bakura looked around calmly, turning to the others as he came to those thoughts. "This island is so peaceful," he said quietly, a soft smile on his face. Peaceful... That was one word for it he supposed. More like eerily quiet; heck, what was going to happen to this place after the tournament was over anyways?. "It hardly seems to be the place to play duel monsters."

 

Hear hear, and yet... Beside him, Anzu nodded. "Yeah..." As she spoke, the woman frowned, crossing her arms. "And those people aren't playing either," she said as she looked towards a small group aimlessly looking around the island. So far it looked like a lot of people were doing that really, just wandering around like the rest of them. "I guess we're not the only ones who don't know what to do."

 

At that moment, Katsuya spotted a sign post, blinking. Oh. At least they had those. "Ah- look, over there!" They approached the sign, the blond crossing his arms. "Forest to th' left... An' th' lake to th' right..." Forest or lake, forest or lake... Looking at the signs, he frowned. Which way? The others came up behind him, also staring before there was an answer.

 

"Let's go to the forest," Yugi stated calmly, with a hint of vengeance in his tone. "I saw Haga go this way." Haga? 'First to go' indeed he supposed... In fact, Yugi was already heading that way with those words. He shrugged as they walked off in that direction, sneezing again.

 

Ehhhhck... Sooner this cold was gone the better, seriously. There was a sniff, and he picked up a pace beside his friend. "Okay then..." Hey, if it got them some star chips and him off the island... He looked around, the sunlight scarcely making its way through the trees as the sounds of anything living inside could be heard. The trees in the area almost reminded him of the plastic forest from Bakura's 'Monster World' set; thick, cold, and surrounding. "...Creepy..."

 

"Hey, YUGI!" The group jumped, turning as Haga's voice broke the silence. The bug user smirked wickedly as he leaned across from them on a tree, hands in his pockets. Yugi snorted as the bespectacled boy held out his deck, glaring at him.

 

"Hn hn hn... At least you have the 'courage' to face me!" Courage... Interesting choice of words. Granted, that expression Yugi had was a little scary to be honest. He was fairly glad that he wouldn't be on the receiving end.

 

His soon to be opponent grinned in response, laughing. "Of course Yugi! After all, if I can beat you first, the rest will be easy!" Yeah, the key word was 'IF' buddy. And Yugi never lost. "I challenge you to a duel, right here right now," he shouted, Yugi instantly agreeing to the conditions. As they followed the boy deeper into the forest ('there's a place to duel right here' he had said), Katsuya stared.

 

"Hey! It's one of those battle box things!" While he was fairly certain that it wouldn't have that

'penalty' game add on (He'd found that out watching the finals of the tournament on the T.V ...), it seemed just a little out of place- what with it being a giant glass box in the middle of the forest with a table and two chairs. Katsuya watched as the two walked in, the box blocking out any sound from the inside. Just like last time. Hahaha... Well, he might as well cheer him on! "Smash this guy Yugi," he shouted as they began, the pair glaring at each other as they shuffled their decks. "GO FOR IT!"

 

Haga of course, was using bugs. It figured. From what he could tell the field gave them a bonus too, which pretty much sucked for Yugi; nothing he couldn't handle though, hell he'd beaten Seto easily enough hadn't he? True to his word, about half way through the duel Yugi did a complete turn around; where a few moments before, Haga had been swarming the field with more and more insects, now it was completely clear of monsters. _Boy_ was that satisfying.

 

It was about that moment as well that another spectator came to the match. "Hn hn hn hn hn..." The group turned as a familiar woman appeared, the busty blond leaning against a tree with a smirk on her face. Now what was she doing here? Stalking Yugi? "That was a smooth play he made there... But Yugi-chan's only taken a small lead..." Yugi- _chan_? What'd she think the guy was, 10?

 

As Honda stared with wide, lustful eyes, the blond scratched his cheek. Mai Kujaku... And why wasn't he completely flipping out over her again? (She _was_ hot. Maybe it was something he ate. ...Last night.)

 

"A duel monsters game can go from victory to defeat in a single turn," she said with a smile, turning her attention to the match with a renewed expression of severity. "It's too early to get cocky!" Anzu appeared to share his idea on the 'chan' comment, the woman turning to glare at Mai with a red face.

 

"What are you doing, calling Yugi 'chan'! He's not a kid!" Yeah! Seriously, regardless of the fact that this lady was how old..? (20, 25 maybe... Eh, whatever.)

 

It was probably Anzu just being pissed about the reaction the others had about her. Or...the perceived reaction at least. The older woman snorted, shaking her head. "Listen... Insector Haga is the Japanese Champion! He's a master planner with several winning strategies. The real duel, " she continued with a frown, "Is just beginning." Anzu seemed to continue growling at that, muttering a few choice curses about the woman. Mai herself merely rolled her eyes- this apparently wasn't new to her. And the lady had a point there; regardless of Ryuuzaki's passing comment of 'I just let him win', the fact was that Haga was currently considered the top duelist in Japan. Sure, _he_ knew otherwise...

 

But this still wouldn't be as easy as the matches they had for fun back home he decided with a nod. "I gotta agree with her there Anzu," he said, Honda nodding in the background with a blush. Ignoring Anzu's glare in response, not to mention the apparent comment on 'lust' again (God damn it, that wasn't why he was agreeing!) he went on to explain. "I mean, Yugi's gonna win of course... But that doesn't mean he can let his guard down!" Of course he would win! God, why would he doubt _that_? It was just going to be 'difficult', as Mai was saying.

 

Come to think, what was this lady even _doing_ here? Had she been following them or something? She had shown a fair amount of interest in Yugi; news of the match between he and Seto had effectively been spread through Tokyo within a day, it wasn't surprising that the news caught to the rest of the country afterwards. Those thoughts lingering on his mind, he decided to focus on the match again, crossing his arms.

 

The duel progressed. There was one tight spot, just one- this stupid cocoon sitting on the field. He and the others were shouting attempts to help him out of the situation, though in hindsight just about all their comments had the same effect.

 

Save a choice few it would seem. Apparently, him telling Yugi to burn the whole forest down to take out the damn cocoon helped a lot, as a few minutes later (Regardless of Mai's snort at their 'cheerleading') there was a burst of flames, a clear path of ground heading towards it. Yugi's knight was able to cut clear through the insect on the other side, the cocoon's weakness becoming his strength. As the pair collided there was a pause, the group staring with crossed fingers as they waited. Come on...

 

Come on... And yes! The cocoon broke! Yes!

 

Annnnnd there was a pretty big moth in there still. Well shit, that was a bit of an issue...

 

"Damn it!" Katsuya scowled as Haga gained the upper hand yet again, before continuing to cheer his friend on. There was a way to counter this, there was always a way... He didn't really know what it would be, but if Yugi's expression was anything he obviously had something in mind... Ah! He watched as Yugi electrocuted the moth to submission, shutting down Haga's lifepoints completely. "HAHAAA! Yeah! He won! How'dyah like that, M-" He turned, frowning as he was met with empty space where Mai Kujaku once stood. "Oi, where'd she go..."

 

Anzu snorted, while Yugi stepped out of the box. "Away from here is good enough for me..!" Not helpful! Alright...

 

So now Yugi only needed seven star chips and... He looked at his glove, eye twitching slightly. That's right. This was the first duel in, so of course... "I only have one..." Shaking it off, he pumped his fist in the air and marched forwards. Not the time to complain! Really, he needed to get a duel going for himself, then he'd be just as far! "Whatever... Time tah get outta this forest!" Briefly he thought he heard the others muttering about him as he left but... Hey, they knew he'd do just as good as Yugi right?

 

...Right..?

 

Heck, he had an amazing deck now! They couldn't be talking about him losing already right..? As they left the forest, his eyes widened, sunlight bathing the group as they exited the trees. "Whoah..." The blond grinned, running out into the field they'd come onto. This place was... Incredible! Compared to the beaten paths they'd taken to enter the forest, the scenery was just... Indescribable! "YEAH!" His grin grew as he charged off, backpack thumping behind him as he held one of the straps. "I bet the view is great from that hill over there! Lets go!"

 

"Geez," he heard Anzu shout as he ran, "This isn't a field trip!" It was still a good view though! Katsuya ignored her, looking over the field and island with distant eyes. Incredible...

 

Regardless of all the people on the island, it was almost like some uninhabited realm they'd come across. Obviously any wildlife there were avoiding them, but in the field to the distance he could still see a few blurs that were far from human quietly making their way through. Birds called in the distance, and beyond the line of trees he could get a clear view of the ocean. The view was more than great. So much more... He clenched his fists. He wanted to show Shizuka this someday. Show Mokuba and his older sister this as well, regardless of what that stick in the mud of a woman said about it...

 

They could just sit here, enjoy the sun for as long as they liked... Not for the limited time that he and the others had right now. The blond grit his teeth as the others came up behind him, pointing out the various duel boxes that duelists were finally frequenting. Promise... It was a promise, he'd get through this! A promise...

 

"Alright," he said as he nodded to himself. "Next time, I'm gonna duel!"

 

He decided to ignore the 'you better pick a weak one first!' from behind him, instead turning as Yugi looked at him. Come to think, 'Other Yugi' seemed to pretty much be dominating the body for the moment. Wonder what that meant? Maybe it was an unspoken agreement; after all, 'this' Yugi felt completely at fault for the loss of Sugoroku. Maybe he was going to stay like this until he 'fixed' the problem. Speaking of Sugoroku, the camera had been in the backpack for just about the entire time there as well.

 

...Though that was probably because no one wanted to explain the 'two Yugi's situation again. "Be careful when you choose the site for your duel Jonouchi," the teen said as he turned to him, expression somewhat blank. The blond nodded. "Yeah..." he looked through the field again, before pulling out his deck. "Based on the field my monsters could get a bonus here... No worries," he added, grinning again. "I got it Yugi!"

 

Yugi smiled, nodding as well. "Right... Keep in mind, other duelists have likely figured out the rules of the island by now," the teen added, crossing his arms. "They'll stake out the areas that put their monsters at an advantage, and wait for a duelist to come by!" Like hunting. Except with people.

 

...Those thoughts sounded weird together, try something else... Uh...

 

As his friend said this, Bakura looked over Katsuya's shoulder at the blond's cards. "What field works best with your monster cards Jonouchi..?" He just said-! Though he should probably double check that actually...

 

He blinked, looking over his cards. Volcano, Mountain, Plains, Wasteland, Forest, Lake, Ocean... A few of them seemed pretty obvious really but he should probably think it through- heck, someone's life was on the line wasn't it? Folding the cards back up, he bit his lip. Most battles in terms of swordplay happened in places that were clear and easy to traverse so... "Well... I have a lot 'f warrior an' beast warrior cards, so my best guess would be 'Sogen'... Th' plains."

 

Honda looked around, nodding. "So I guess right about here would be Jonouchi's territory... Mountains to the left and sea to the right..." He nodded again, the others agreeing. "You should probably sit tight, where you've got the advantage." That was a good plan, but he'd kinda figured that out! As he was about to turn and tell the teen he wasn't an idiot, a rather familiar voice shouted over the plains.

 

Wait wait wait... Again? Her again? "We're done," Mai shouted, a few clicks being heard over her laughter. "Give me your star chips and leave!" Who knew how many it was, but she was obviously feeling rather happy about the win... Unlike her opponent.

 

"T-That voice," Bakura said with a nervous laugh, as they turned to look at the nearby duel box. Yeah. 'That voice'. There she was... In all her large-breasted, hot-yet-apparently-not (He would never get that) glory. At the moment she was gathering her cards, having finished placing in the chips she'd won. Mai continued to laugh as her last opponent left the box, the woman smirking.

 

"Run home to your mommy, 'little boy'... Hnhnhn!" Said 'little boy' actually did look a little younger than most of the competition- though it seemed that age was not a question in getting suckered, as his face- while obviously torn with grief over losing- was a beet red.

 

Honda stared with the same wide lustful eyes again, face just as red as the kid's was. "K-Kujaku Mai!" 'Kujaku Mai' was right, what was she a magnet? Forty people all on an island, how did they manage to encounter her three times already? How! And speaking of how...

 

For his part, Katsuya was staring at the woman's wrist rather than her chest. Probably a near impossible feat for most lady-oriented eyes at the moment. "She's already got four star chips!" Then again...

 

If it hadn't been for him, Yugi would have four as well. So... Er...

 

Maybe he should rephrase that statement. The woman skipped over by them, looking at the group before stopping. She skimmed over the group, hand on her hip as she pocketed her deck again. "Hnhnhn! Ah..." She smiled rather falsely, looking at Yugi. "And how are your duels going Yugi..?" The boy stared, not really showing any reaction to the question before answering. Hah, so he wasn't the only one 'unaffected' by the boobs? ...Or maybe that was just the side effects of being a superpowered, game playing 'other self'. The original got all the sex drive.

 

"Not bad," he muttered, arms crossed. He was gaining this look on his face that essentially said 'come on... Come on, fight me!' For a moment, it seemed that the situation would end at an obvious note, and in favor of that expression. Mai was clearly raring for a battle, having gotten hyped up by the last one...

 

And it was only obvious she'd challenge Yu- "Alright," she said with a smile, standing straight again. "I've decided! I want to have a duel..." The woman trailed off, before turning to Katsuya. Hang on, him? She was looking at him? Mai appeared to be drawing out her decision, and it didn't help that he was right beside Yugi. Within a few seconds however the fact that she was looking across rather than down gave it away. Oh shit. "I challenge you, Jonouchi!"

 

He paled, jumping slightly. God, even when he sort of kind of saw it coming it was a shock! "H-HUH? What?" This was more surprising than when Mokuba had hired him for security! More surprising than when Seto turned out to be a she-

 

...Actually no, no it wasn't.

 

"Me!?" The others voiced their surprise as well, rather loudly in fact, while Katsuya himself turned slightly to see their own takes on this. Gee Yugi, thanks for the look of confidence... Was that a raised eyebrow of little faith there, thanks man...

 

Thanks soooo much. Not that he blamed him really but... Augh... Continuing to laugh a little nervously, he turned and found it fading further as Mai smirked. Not a good expression...

 

"You won't run away will you... Little boy?" Ooooooooh that was... He narrowed his eyes, while Mai continued. "As a duelist, of course I want to fight Yugi..." Of course. But he was not going to let being called a 'little boy' just slip by! "But with the rules of this island, that's not a good strategy. After all, look what happened to Insector Haga!" ...This was true. The woman smiled, turning away slightly. "First, I need to crush the weaklings and collect my star chips... I'll fight Yugi after that." Weakling? For the love of...

 

He'd show her weak! He might not be as good as someone like Yugi, or Kaiba, but he certainly wasn't 'weak'! "Jonouchi, you can't beat that woman," Anzu shouted, the blond turning to her with raised eyebrows. "Don't accept her challenge!" Thanks Anzu... Thanks so much for the vote of confidence...

 

He quickly found himself looking at the others as well, who were also speaking. "Jonouchi," Honda called out. "If you lose man, it's all over! Don't do it!" Thanks...

 

So much... This really wasn't helping his mood! Or his drive! Katsuya shook slightly, before he heard Bakura as well. Him too? "You should have Yugi accept the challenge for you..."

 

Aaaaaauughh! Why was everyone so insistent on him not playing! So what if he was barely in this (Not to mention the fact that he hadn't been considered for the sign ups as it was...)...

 

Damn it! Show a little faith! ...Please? "Tell him, Yugi," Anzu was saying after the teen told him this, Katsuya still shaking. Come on guys, not one bit of faith in his ability? Seriously..? Yugi wouldn't say that. No way he'd say that right... Hell he was his best friend! And his best friend stood there, silent for a moment. The teen's expression was notably neutral as he stared at the ground, before turning to look at the blond. "Jonouchi," he finally said. "Do your best!"

 

The blond beamed. "Y-Yeah!" He nodded, ignoring the protests from the others. Really, he'd show them..! "I knew you'd say that!" He knew it... He just knew it! There was no way Yugi would have a lack of faith! Even if it was the 'other one', he considered both of them his friends! Key word being both, they were very clearly two different people from what he'd seen. Though recently it'd been debatable. "If I run away here," he muttered, looking up at the sky. "Then whenever I look up at the sky from now on... Or when I look at anything... All I'd remember was my cowardice..." All he would be able to think of was him standing at the side feeling sorry for himself when Mokuba was taken. He steeled himself, turning back to look at the others. "An' I don' wanna be a wimp! I might be scared... But if there's anyone I'm gonna end up being in th' future, I want that someone t' be strong!"

 

Honda blinked, scratching his cheek as he took in the fairly over-the-top words. "I... I get it dude, sorry I told you to back out..." As the others muttered behind him, Katsuya turned to face Mai with a smirk. Alright...

 

He was ready! "Kujaku Mai," he said with a shout, grabbing his deck. "I accept your challenge!" Let the REAL games begin... Now!

 

* * *

 

Okay, actually sitting in the box now his fear of dropping out of the tournament completely was really, really catching up to him. His heart thumped loudly against his chest, the shouts from the others managing to shake him from his paralyzed stance as the decks were cut and shuffled. Oh god, oh god what had he gotten himself into...

 

"You only have one star chip, don't you," Mai said with a slightly pouting tone. "Well, then I'll bet one too, alright?" Yesssss such a feat for her wasn't it...

 

He nodded, pulling out another chip as he looked at the board. "Sheesh, what's with this field," he muttered, visibly drawing back. Small 'block' mountains rose up on the woman's side of the field, and he frowned. This wasn't like the board that Yugi and Haga had played with. Back there, the trees had fairly obviously been holographic. Here however... "It's 3D..." It was weirder than Mokuba's CapMon boards... Well, maybe not weirdER but... Still. Mai ignored him, instead looking down at the board.

 

"Well now... This 'field' we're playing on is 40% mountains and grassland, and 20% wasteland... If that answers your question hun?" she said with a slightly sultry tone. Katsuya didn't know if she was trying to hit on him (which wasn't going to work as it was), or... If she was just trying to psych him out. If it were the latter...

 

Well. It was definitely psyching him out. At least he had the grassland side though, giving him an advantage. "Hey, Kujaku," he said, the woman fixing him with a confused look as he spoke. "B'fore we begin... I wanna ask yah... Why did you come to this island?" Before the woman answered, he continued. "For honor? F'r money?"

 

She smirked. "BOTH!" Giving a playful wink, she leaned back in her chair and continued. "Really, what else~? If I win the money, I can travel the world... No... I could live in Paris for the rest of my life, and buy all the channel and vuitton I want!" Channel..? Was that a perfume, he was pretty sure it was a perfume at least.

 

He snorted. "Heh... That's..." He shook his head, giving her a slightly amused and pitied look. "That's a pretty weak reason t' be here." Perfume, hotels, and France... Yeah... Just a little bit shallow really.

 

"How DARE YOU ," she shouted, practically turning into a monster at the words. Woah... Lady! Don't start shouting at him about it, sheesh! He was pretty sure he was right..! "Well, if my reasons are so petty then," the woman spat out with a glare, "How about you explain why you're here?"

 

Katsuya stared at her, looking her in the eye for a few moments. Alright... Let's just make sure she wouldn't rip off his head and eat it or something first. He closed his eyes, gaining a slightly distant look before answering her. "I'm here... T' save a life." As Mai stared at him in silence, possibly confusion for a moment, he continued. "Three, act'lly... Jus' don' tell any 'f them I said it w's that many..." He snorted, shaking his head. "They'd probably tell me off for adding a person..." But he had no doubt that the number was 'three'.

 

The woman stared at him oddly a few moments, frowning. Eventually she snorted, forcing a smirk back into place. "As if I would care about that... Whatever. Duel start!" He nodded, drawing his cards and placing them in his hand. Alright...

 

Some decent monsters right off the bat, that was alright... As he turned to face Mai, he found the smile drop rather quickly, staring at his opponent in shock. What the fuck... The woman had drawn each card face down and, without looking at them, placed them in the same position on the table before her. "What the hell..." He shook his head, staring at her incredulously. What the fuck was she doing, she wasn't even blinking, or shaking... Not a single sign of a bluff! "Why the hell aren't you looking at your cards!"

 

She smirked, clearly enjoying his reaction. "It's simple, isn't it?" No, no it really wasn't... They were all face down damn it! "I already know my hand!" The blond's eyes narrowed, and he shook his head just slightly from the denial. No way... That was impossible, unless she had some kind of trippy, 'millennium item' thing going on as well, that was impossible...

 

...Now that he thought about it, there was obviously more than one item out there so that could be possible. Normally though, they were pretty obvious. (And while he was asking questions, why did the entire room reek of perfume...)

 

He passed it off, holding back a slight urge to puke at the scents in the air instead. Probably whatever she was wearing. She did list perfume on her list of things to buy with prize money... (Dear lord it smelled terrible... Like a melting pot of flowers...) The woman smiled, continuing. "My turn," she stated calmly, grabbing one of the cards. "For my first card..." A monster was flipped and placed on the mountains, Mai smirking. "The Harpy lady! Gaining a power boost from the mountains!"

 

He faltered, before shaking it off. Whatever... So she could tell what her cards were, big deal right! Hell, he still had his own cards, and that was all that mattered right? "I play Tiger Axe," he called, placing the card on the field. A small 'shimmer' told him that their earlier hunch about 'field bonuses' was right, and he grinned. "He gets a power boost from the plains! ATTACK!" Yeah their attack was the same now, but still... At least they'd knock each other out! (...Sorry Tiger Axe...)

 

Wait, why was everyone drawing his attention to the fact that the monster he was fighting had wings? "Ohohoho~ Scratch Clash ," Mai shouted with a grin, her monster avoiding his tiger's axe with ease as it dipped around in the air. Wait, it was able to do that! Sheesh, no wonder Pegasus hadn't actually gone through the new rules, they were pretty much being created as the game went! The Harpy continued to tease his monster, before destroying it with a well placed slash. "The Tiger Axe is killed instantly!"

 

Shit... Shiiiiit... His life points dropped slightly, the tiger's advantage having vanished when taken from the air by the harpy. That was just fucking great now wasn't it. Two bonuses at once, just lovely...

 

"Hn hn hn..." The woman smirked as he looked at her with a glare, merely chuckling in response to it. "No 'newbie' can beat me, little boy!" Little boy... Again with that comment...

 

He was probably taller than this lady too, not that he could tell with the heels! He listened as the shouts from the others (Save Yugi, who was merely watching with narrowed eyes) came through the glass. Great... Just... Great... They were already doubting-

 

_FFFFF_. Why. WHY. He wasn't that bad was he? Heck... He'd come close at least a few times right? Why he'd even come in eighth for the regionals, that was all of Tokyo! Which meant that before the finals, he was eighth to Haga!

 

...That wasn't a good thing damn it. He tensed, his turn coming around. How... How did she _do_ that, read the cards when they were face down? It was unnerving... Each time she drew a card, she did the same thing too, place it on the table edge with her others. "Okay," he shouted, shaking it off. "My next card is Demon Hunter Kojikocy, and he gets a power up from the plains!" There. This monster beat out the harpy lady easily, there was no way that it'd beat him even with the flight advantage... He'd have to make it attack him though, lest he be taken out by the same flight maneuvers from befo-

 

"Hnhn hn..." He frowned as the woman chuckled, listening as she continued. "Then I'll play this," Mai began, flipping over a spell card and equipping it to her harpy. "Electro whip! Harpy Lady's attack goes up by 300 points!" Shit! The monster charged his demon hunter, whip cracking as it ensnared it. The sounds of his own monster groaning as the whip burned into his skin was blotted from existence as it vanished from the field. "Hahaha! Prepare to die boy, because you're next! The demon hunter is destroyed!" Katsuya grimaced as his lifepoints decreased yet again, eyes narrowed.

 

Again... She knew what the card was before she flipped it over again! Granted this was only the second card, but still... It was creeping him out! He drew a card, continuing grit his teeth as the woman laughed.

 

"Hnhnhn... You won't be able to beat my Harpy Lady with a card like that," she said smugly, only serving to tick the blond off even more. "Each turn, she becomes more beautiful, more elegant... And most of all, stronger!" Beautiful?

 

_HAHHHHH_. "Beautiful," he said with a snort, shaking his head. A creepy looking bird lady with a fairly suggestive whip? Yeaah... "If that's what yer into..." Ignoring the indignant glare sent his way with those comments, he looked at his card, placing it on the board. "Take this! Warrior of Gardna!" The woman merely smirked at the challenge, though there was a slight 'twitch' in the expression. Most likely he decided later, it was because she still had the obvious advantage.

 

"With pleasure! I play Cyber bondage," she called, Katsuya watching as the metal armor with spikes in all the wrong places appeared over the woman. There wasn't even any hiding it this time- Bondage was right in the name! What was this deck, a porn nightmare? "Harpy Lady's attack and defense get even better!" How did this make it better! The monster screeched with glee as the armor was applied, before its owner continued. "Cyber lightening whip! Destroy the warrior!" The bird charged forwards, his monster shouting in pain as the whip cracked across his back. A few seconds later he was reduced to nothing, and as the points decreased yet again to leave him with 810, the blond winced. "Ahahahaha! Have you learned your lesson," Mai said with a wink, before giving a coy smirk. "You're nothing but prey to me!" He was just going to ignore that last line and somehow focus on the game...

 

Somehow... Tch...

 

How how _how how how_! How the hell was she reading her cards face down? What was this, ESP? A creepy psychic act? Or... A really really _really_ successful bluff even! This was bugging him so much right now, like with Seto's briefcase from before, seriously!

 

Damn it... He ground his teeth. If creepy powers and shit was what it took to win this... Well he couldn't do this. There was just no way that if he was expected to face against that sort of thing. He couldn't...

 

As Anzu fruitlessly shouted at him with too-late-encouragement, he tensed. Yeah... _Now_ he was getting support, but for what point? Slowly, he watched as Mai smirked and turned to the woman outside the box to respond to the cheers. "Hey, you out there," she shouted with a point, voice almost a roar so that those outside would at least hear a whisper. "What was it you said? 'If you shout, the duelist will hear your 'feelings', and you'll help him win?" ...Right... That's what Anzu had said earlier when Mai commented on their 'cheerleading' at Yugi's match. The woman continued to smirk cruelly as Anzu faltered, visibly drawing back from the box. Yeah... She knew what was coming. "Then make this wimp win! He needs all the 'feelings' you've got!"

 

Tch...! The woman laughed at her target's fallen expression, Katsuya wondering if he'd be disqualified for punching the bitch in the face. This. Was. Not. Fun. _At all_! Clenching his fists as the woman continued, he held back. For Mokuba and Shizuka...

 

And for 'Seto-chan' as well, he had to hold out... (...And he really needed to stop mentally referring to her as... Aw screw it, like it mattered right now.) "Well... Do you see now? That kind of thing is useless! And for you," Mai continued, turning to the blond in front of her, "Some more free advice 'boy'... You can't become a true duelist and play with your friends at the same time! Today's friends are tomorrows enemies! That's what it means to be a duelist!" As Katsuya tightened his jaw, clenching his fists even tighter with rage, the woman still went on. "Duelists can't trust anyone but themselves... Take that to heart from todays' defeat!" So she was knocking down his friends now was she? Dumb fucking...

 

As Anzu growled in anger, a shout from outside took the blond's attention. "In that case, I'll make Jonouchi win," came the other Yugi's voice from outside the glass, both Mai and Katsuya turning in response. Yugi... "With just one word!" Huh... One word- "Jonouchi... This is a riddle!" A riddle? Seriously, was now really the time for... And that wasn't one word! "Answer it," the teen continued, expression serious. "What's something that you can show, but you can't see!" Something you can show but can't s-

 

He looked at Yugi with wide eyes as Mai laughed in the background, howling with mirth at the seemingly pointless message. He knew the answer to that... He knew... But even that couldn't do it! Katsuya's eyes fell, and he turned to look at the table again. 'Friendship'... That was the answer he'd given Yugi those months and months ago, in that same cheesy, corny line he'd used. But 'Friendship'... No matter how he looked at it... ' _Sorry Yugi_ ', he thought to himself. ' _I'm too dumb to figure out what you mean...'_ He rubbed his face, with one hand in an attempt to calm down, eyes shut. Damn it...

 

Damn it... He couldn't help Shizuka, he couldn't help Mokuba... Couldn't help anyone... "What would you say now, Seto-chan," he muttered under his breath, holding back a few tears. It wasn't as though anyone outside would hear him, and if Mai did she'd probably just ignore it completely. "What would you say..." He could swear he got a response actually...

 

' _Try thinking outside the game for a moment, moron._ ' Hahaha... Crystal clear, that was. He almost felt like he could hear her right there... Like she was standing behind him, glaring at his back. She wouldn't care if he lost really. So all in all, this voice was probably just him being stupid... Katsuya took a deep breath, the others watching in silence as he leaned back against his chair. His turn... Now why couldn't _he_ have ESP or something, instead of the ability to hear voices that didn't exist... _'I said, think outside the game, MORON._ ' Just shut up already, he thought as he held his hands over his eyes. For an invisible and non-existent voice, this was really loud. And not helping his cold, though it had died down mostly...

 

The blond sneezed at that moment, sniffing with a frown. Key word being most- Wait... Katsuya sniffed, frowning. Over the course of the game, his nose had cleared up somewhat. That smell from earlier... It was stronger now. Think outside the game. Something you can show but can't see... Both of those clues were...

 

His eyes widened as he leaned forwards with a jolt, looking over at the cards. He thought she was just wearing a crap load of perfume but... This was too much. These were all really intense, and really, REALLY varied perfumes! As he continued to stare, nose twitching slightly as he took in the scents, he idly heard his opponent speaking. "Come on," Mai was saying as he went over this, the woman scowling. "It's your turn! I haven't got all day!" He knew...

 

He knew how she was doing it now! The blond merely laughed in response, grinning. Esp... Hah! In the end it was complete bullshit! She was no better than he was! "I got it... I know your card trick," he shouted with a laugh, grin widening. At the woman's shocked frown, his grin grew even more, before shrinking to a smirk. "By putting different perfumes on all the cards in advance... You can tell which cards are in your hand by scent!" He continued to laugh, before adding in a little extra. "You can show the cards," he added with a glance to a winking Yugi, "But yah can't see the smell!" As Mai continued to reel back, clearly shocked at her plan being found out he continued smirking. "Heh.. Man... That was close! That stuff weirded me out so much I couldn't pay attention to the battle at all..." He chuckled as cheers sounded from outside, and he rubbed his head. "I thought it was some weird creepy occult powers or somethin', you really scared the crap outta me! But now..." He drew a card, smirking again. He could do this now... "I'm onto your game you faker! Get ready!"

 

Mai seethed, face growing red. "Oh yeah," she screeched, Katsuya mentally wincing. "So you saw through my trick then? Big deal! You won't be able to beat me in a hundred years!" A hundred years huh...? He could vaguely recall something about a hundred years in a conversation with Yugi, but what was it about...

 

He shook his head, smiling as he crossed his arms. "Hehehe... It's strange," he said as the woman continued to glare at him. "Just havin' my friends here watchin'... Just knowin' that you aren't all you made out t' be... Makes me feel like you ain't so tough after all." He looked over his card, already forming a loose strategy of sorts. If he got the right draw, he could do this... Alright! "Here I go! I play the Baby Dragon in defense mode!" This card... Yugi gave it to him.

 

And he wasn't going to waste this card! Across from him Mai snickered, before bursting into laughter. Oh sure, laugh at his little dragon... Jerk. "AHAHAAA! Good choice, a card for babies!" Why that... He watched the woman wipe a tear from her eye, before smirking. "Well, at least you were smart enough to put it in defense mode so you won't take damage when I KILL IT!" Oh shit! That's right, he needed two cards... Acccckkk... As she continued to laugh, she grabbed another card and shook her head. "That very thing has saved you from an attack this turn; instead of attacking, I'll play this! Kaleidoscope, the Splendid Mirror Image!" Oh..? A card that needed her to skip an attack to play..? Wait... What was it doing! He watched as the card was played, the first upgraded harpy lady suddenly splitting into two others. Oh come on! "Now I have three harpy ladies," she said with a grin, the three bird-women cackling.

 

"Wha..!" Katsuya gritted his teeth. "What! There's more now!" Great, he avoided an attack but what about next turn? He couldn't get enough monsters out to defend with three out there! The woman continued to smirk. "I can't attack on the turn I play Kaleidoscope..." And thank god for that, or he'd be a goner... "So go on boy... It's your move~" That should not sound the way she was making it sound. Ever.

 

...Why was his brain picturing Kaiba saying- OK!

 

Stop thinking now! His turn, his turn... He needed to focus, or he wouldn't make it through. Gh... Katsuya drew a card, frowning. Not the one he needed... But at least it would help him out a bit. "I play Garoozis," he called, the monster getting a bonus to his already decently high attack power. "He gets a 30% power up from the plains!" Which made for almost... A successful shield. Mai grinned.

 

"Ohoho! Prey! Go my Harpies," she cried with narrowed eyes. Garoozis was in attack mode... It was the only real way to keep his dragon on the field, he was sure. At least this way Mai would pick the seemingly 'worse' target. (This was gonna hurt though...) "Whip Garoozis! Punish him!" Ah wait wait what? Punish? As in... That... Punish..?

 

The blond shuddered slightly, trying to banish the images taking place on the table from his mind. "I don' wanna even ask what yer preferences are..." They were probably a little... Erm... Questionable. His point count dropped to 120, along with his spirits as Mai continued to cackle. Harpy Lady's 10 hit combo, she was saying. Damn it, he didn't have a card that could beat three harpies! Yeah he was counting on that dragon Yugi had mentioned with the one on the field, but right now his back was literally against a wall! If he didn't get this card soon...

 

Across from him Mai continued to laugh, shaking her head at the comment he'd made with narrowed eyes. "My 'preferences' have nothing to do with this, 'boy'... Why, looking for a 'date'?" The woman leaned in, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Maybe if you win," she said with a husky grin, "I'll consider it..."

 

"Hihhh!" He shook his head, pulling back. Alright... Given the images currently in his skull at that moment, he was already very _very_ far from being turned on at the moment! Very. Far. "Trust me lady, that's th' last thing on my mind!" She blinked, apparently genuinely surprised by the comment.

 

Nonetheless, though it took a few seconds before the woman did this, she merely smirked. "Well," she muttered, shaking it off rather quickly. "Not that you could win anyways..." Yeah... Got that right... 'Something you can show but you can't see'. He'd said friendship, and at the moment he thought it applied to the perfumes... Was there something more? Something else...

 

_'I thought I told you,'_ he heard, the blond frowning as Seto's voice continued to pound at the back of his skull. ' _Think outside the game, MORON!_ ' He jumped as the last part practically shouted in his ear, before thinking again. Where did that riddle come from again? Yugi had been the first to say it, before he'd put together the puzzle. Something you can show...

 

His eyes widened as he stared at his deck, realization hitting him abruptly. The box. The riddle was carved on the side of the BOX, the same one that Yugi had originally held the pieces of his puzzle in! He remembered that day. He could remember it clearly now, when the guy was helping him put a deck together! Yugi used the box to store his important cards now, and he'd pulled out a few to give him.

 

' _Here, Jonouchi,_ ' he'd said with a smile. _'Let me give you this card before I forget!_ ' That card... He'd given it to him with 'Baby Dragon', it was the card he was waiting for! ' _It can do lots of things... If you use it with Baby Dragon, it can fast forward 100 years and turn the dragon into an adult! It's an incredibly reliable card, here, take it!'_ Shaking hands went over to the deck. Think outside of the game... So that he could think of the game...

 

He held back a smirk, thinking of Seto for the moment. If he wasn't so sure that this voice was just his head being weird, he'd want to thank the lady. As it was, he'd probably get sacked between the legs for his efforts. Katsuya nervously moved to draw a card from his deck, ignoring the taunts from Mai as he moved. One chance, he told himself. Just one... "Come on," Mai shouted as he took a breath, hand placed on the deck and grabbing a card right that moment. "You've got one turn to live! Why don't you just give up and give me your cards right now?" He didn't have the Time Wizard in his hand at the moment... His only chance... Was this draw right here...

 

Here goes... For a moment, he thought he saw a flash from Yugi's millenium puzzle. It was only a moment though, one brief second that he passed off to the back of his mind. Nervous eyes looked over the card, and as he got over the shock of what he'd gotten he grinned. "YES!" He summoned the card, watching as Mai looked at it confused. Of course she didn't know, she was too focused on her weird feathered porn rejects! "This is the time wizard!" Looking over at Mai's still confused stare, Katsuya continued to grin. He had her now... He had her! "Don't you know? Th' Time Wizard can speed time up! It zooms forward 100 years an' turns th' Baby Dragon into an adult!" The smirk grew, and he watched as the small time wizard raised his wand. "Go! Time Magic! Baby Dragon becomes the Thousand Dragon!" The wheel on the wizard's staff swirled, and for a moment an odd wave of light passed over the table. Mai snorted as the infantile dragon grew into an aged adult, before scowling. Thousand-Year Dragon...

 

Well damn it, it's attack wouldn't beat the Harpies... "So what," she cried. "That senile dragon is nothing! My harpies attack is still stronger!" Yes, he knew that. Shit... And this was probably his strongest monster too god damn it! As he thought this however, he found himself staring at the board with wide eyes, ignoring Mai's next words of 'Kill it, Harpy Lady sisters! ' Mai as well looked down at them, frowning as their attack plummeted... Along with something else. "W-What... WHAT?"

 

The ladies groaned, the sound of joints cracking sounding about the air. Their hair became dull and grey, feathers loosing their lustre as a few fell out. Their once loud and ear-splitting screeches had even changed, growing hoarse and dull. All together... Another bit of fuel for his nightmares really. Across from her, Katsuya continued to stare with wide and fairly horrified eyes. "H-Hhhhhh..." S-Scary... This was... Um... The harpies were suddenly all old and wrinkly... That was just a bit unsettling. "Uh... If it's any cons'lation," the teen said with a cough, blinking. "I'm s'prised too... Uh... Didn' know it could do that..." He shook it off, noting that Yugi appeared to be giving him a knowing smirk. Well obviously someone knew about that ability... "Alright!" Time to win this! "Now that that's settled, go, Thousand Dragon!" The dragon roared, the Harpy Ladies card effects tying them together for the same attack three times. "Thousand nose breath!"

 

And no matter how silly that attack sounded, that move would forever be considered amazing in his mind. Always. As the dragon blew away the entire field Mai's points dropped to zero, the woman going red in embarrassment. "I... I don't believe it..." She better! "I... I lost..." Katsuya gave a thumbs up to Yugi, before turning to Mai with a blank stare.

 

Ignoring the shouts from outside ('It's a miracle', Bakura was saying. THANKS... so much...), he smiled. "Kujaku Mai," he said quietly, the woman not looking up from her cards. Almost like she'd lost her friends... Interesting thought given her speech on not needing any earlier. "I may not be a 'true duelist' by your definition... But let me tell you this," he continued as he gathered his own deck, pocketing it. "There's one thing that doesn't change, even over 100 years." The woman turned, eyes slightly wide from the shock of her loss. She swallowed, a light frown developing across her face.

 

"W-What," she said, sounding almost slightly desperate over the defeat. "What is it..?"

 

The smile grew into a grin, and he said one last thing before leaving the box. "Something you can show... But you can't see!"

 

There was no answer to that statement as he left with his friends, the group simply leaving Mai to stare at her cards with that message in mind.

 


	3. The Messenger from Hell

Today was not a bad day at all, he decided for the moment. Yes, Mokuba was kidnapped... Yes... He'd been blackmailed into this tournament just so that Pegasus could (presumably) get a hold of KaibaCorp...

 

But all that aside he'd won his first match, and it would take a lot to take the wind out of his sails now. "Heheheeeee..." As in _a lot_ a lot. Katsuya stared at his two chips, a grin on his face as he continued to giggle fairly moronically. He'd been at it for about thirty minutes- Ever since he and Yugi had agreed to set off and win the next match actually. As they walked however, his mood was indeed stopped.

 

Specifically by a gurgling sound from his stomach. "Nh..." He looked down, grabbing his middle in question with a frown. "Hnn... I'm getting hungry..." He laughed nervously, turning to the others. They... They had food... Right? They had to have food, they were going to be there for two days! "When are we havin' lunch exactly..?"

 

Honda frowned, snorting. Ok that wasn't a good sign... "What do you mean lunch, we didn't bring any food!"

 

The reaction was imminent. "WHAT!" The teen's eyes went wide as he turned on the others, stomach growling along with his shouts as if to echo. "WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING!?" Noooooo!

 

Beside him Bakura nodded, ignoring the groans and grumbles from beside him. "We ate all the snacks on the boat..." Of course they did... "And there's no restaurants on this island..." God damn... There wasn't much of anything on this island, a restaurant would really be pushing it... Not that he would have minded magically finding one.

 

At the thought of such a thing, Katsuya groaned, rubbing his aching stomach. "Aww man..." No food... For two days... This was going to be hell... They'd be lucky to be alive by the time they got to the castle at this rate! (Maybe that was the plan all along?)

 

Yugi also nodded, frowning. "That is a problem... This game lasts two whole days, we can't just not eat or drink for 48 hours!" Damn straight Yugi... Damn... Straight... As the teen said this the others had turned on Anzu, who had otherwise remained silent.

 

"Mannnn how come you couldn't at least think of somethin', aren't girls s'pposed tah know about these things?" And he wasn't taking this back, even with Seto in mind! ...Because she'd have probably gotten a backup plan for if that happened. Probably involving a cellphone and a helicopter. (Apparently, she could pilot one. So could Mokuba according to the kid, and that was pretty incredible in his opinion.)

 

The girl scowled, crossing her arms. "Yeah, because that's not sexist at all!" Oh shit, he didn't mean it like... (Ok maybe he did.)

 

...Shit! She continued to hold this foul mood as Honda rummaged around in his bag for something, muttering. "Honestly, you'd think the person who brought us here would feed us! Cheap long haired foreigner..." Something told him 'cheap' didn't have anything to do with it. Hell, anything was easy when your opponent had an empty stomach right?

 

Beside them, Honda finally pulled out what he was looking for; specifically, a large book entitled 'Wilderness Survival'.

 

Wait, so he brought that and not food? _WHY_. "Oh well," the teen said with a dismissive sigh. "If it comes down to it, this book can tell us what plants and mushrooms are edible..."

 

Katsuya pulled a face, reeling back. "Ehhhh! No way man, I'm not eatin' no mushrooms!" He hated mushrooms, hate hate _hated_ mushrooms..! As the group continued walking, the grumbles got progressively louder. Man... If they didn't find anything soon, he might actually consider taking Honda up on his mushroom idea. Ew... About half way into those thoughts, he blinked, sniffing the air a few moments before moving forwards. Now what was that... "Heey... Something smells good..." As the others looked at him with raised eyebrows, he grinned. Something smelled really good actually... Whatever it was was fresh and edible, that was for sure! "It's comin' from th' ocean! C'mon guys, lets go!" Ocean, smell of cooking food...

 

Fish! That had to be it! He charged off, leaving the others to frown. "Smell," Anzu was muttering as the group followed, their own expressions just as doubting. "What smell..?"

 

"Just like when he fought Mai... His sense of smell is like a dogs..." Oh just drop the dog comments already! ...Hopefully, this wasn't his nose pulling tricks on him. As it turned out however he was right; the smell was indeed genuine, and in a few moments they were lead to an ocean side cliff.

 

Katsuya looked over the rocks, grinning at the sight of a fire pit and roasting seafood propped up along side it. "Look at that," he said with a grin. "I found food!" And boy did it look good. The others came up from behind, blinking.

 

"H-He's right," Honda shouted, turning to the others. "Fresh roasted fish!"

 

The blond hopped over the rocks, running towards the fire in question. "And no body's here either," he said with a grin. "The foods our's for th' taking!”

 

"H-Hey!" Anzu frowned, calling after the teen. "Jonouchi! You... Stop that, those aren't yours!" There was more than enough for everyone, it didn't matter!

 

He turned, grinning. "Au-contraire Anzu! Th' law of th' island is whoever steals th' star chips wins! So stealin' food's jus' as good! It's all part of th' game of life!" Besides, people shouldn't leave fish cooking there, it was a fire hazard. No one would mind if he was preserving nearby wildlife... Even though the fire pit was surrounded by bare rocks and was therefore completely harmless. He continued forwards, ignoring those thoughts as Anzu continued to growl.

 

"I am never playing a game with you," she muttered, crossing her arms with a huff. "You're worse than a kid, honestly..." The woman continued to curse under her breath, watching as Honda jumped over the rocks to follow. "Ah-" Anzu stared, groaning. "Not you too!"

 

Honda merely grinned in response, giving a mock shrug as he followed after Katsuya. "Hey, foods food!" And it would do no good outside of their stomachs, so it would be best to eat it now.

 

As the two continued towards the fish, Yugi rolled his eyes with a smirk. "Ohhhh boy..." The closer they got to the fish, the better it looked and smelled- he didn't know who was catching these, but whoever did had a good eye for seafood.

 

"Oh maaaannn these look good," Katsuya said as he grabbed one, practically drooling on the spot. These looked like they were just ready for eating too, he decided, opening his mouth wide.

 

"Smells good too," Honda said with a grin, grabbing another one. Though the fish were obviously still red-hot, the sticks were oddly cool; they'd probably been soaked in water before being put there. "Let's dig in!"

 

And of course someone had to ruin it. There was a shout from behind, along with the sound of splashing water. "W-WHAT THE-" The group, who had all taken a seat around the fire by this point, turned as a tanned young man came out from the water, clearly displeased. Still holding a harpoon with a wobbling fish attached to it, he growled. "Why you... You... STOP EATIN' MY FISH YOU THIEVES!" The group blinked as said man fell back into the water, only serving to tick him off even more. Well...

 

That was anticlimactic... And ohhhh shit, he was coming their way now.

 

The teen charged over, pointing the harpoon at them. "ALRIGHT," he shouted, the point directly aimed at Katsuya's throat. Sheesh, that guy moved fast! He'd barely gotten the chance to stand up and he was cornered! (Good thing he wasn't on yard patrol at Kaiba's...) "Lowlifes, eating someone else's fish! You're not getting out of here alive!"

 

Katsuya growled, waving the fish in the teen's face. "Hey hey, wait a minute! We haven't even eat'n anything yet! Don't go pointin' yer spear at me!" Even though he had literally been about to stuff the thing in his mouth... Tch!

 

This apparently didn't help either, as the harpoon wasn't moved at all for a small bit. "Then give it back," he roared, the others doing just, replacing all the fish by the fire. The teen in the meantime quickly snatched his fish from Katsuya with a still set scowl across his face. Katsuya in question narrowly avoided being scratched by the harpoon as it was swung away from his throat, the blond rubbing his neck and shaking his head with nervous and wide eyes.

 

"S-Sheesh! What are you anyways, you can't be a duelist!"

 

"So what if I am," he shouted, before Katsuya frowned. Ok... Yeah he was wearing a glove but... Shit, the guy was wearing nothing but shorts and a swim mask outside of that. Not to mention he was harpoon fishing. Though with no food, that was probably underst-

 

Wait. His original thoughts still stood, the man had a harpoon. "No way... You're like.. A castaway right..?" No way he got that harpoon on the ship... No way...

 

Apparently he had. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING A CASTAWAY!" This was also apparently an insult! Yikes! The teen held his harpoon, pointing to himself with that still unchanging scowl. "My name is Kajiki Ryota! Duelist of the Sea! Now, I'm just going to assume that you're-" He frowned as Katsuya began pointing at his head, coughing with a smirk. "What the hell are you looking at..."

 

He struggled not to laugh, Honda joining in with him. The serious expression coupled with this... "Gh... Octopus... G..." The octopus in question, about palm sized, was currently stuck to Ryota's swim mask... And made the entire situation completely ridiculous, and over all just too hard to really pay attention to seriously.

 

At all. The fisherman looked up, reaching around his head before growling. "Hhhhhr..." Ryota quickly snatched the small octopus from his head, tossing it back into the sea with a shout. "SMALL FRY!"

 

"WAIT!" The two teens reached out as it sailed off into the sea, groaning. No... The food...

 

"Auuuughhh We could've eaten that..." They could have stuck it on a stick and just roasted and toasted it... They sighed, taking a seat on the ground again. There went the food... "Our octopus..."

 

Ryota snorted, shaking his head at the attitudes over the octopus before looking towards the group again. "As I was saying... So you guys are duelists too eh..?" Before they answered, Katsuya watched as the teen's eyes were drawn towards Yugi. Oh great... His look of pure rage had just changed to a big fat grin. Because that always ended well... Probably thinking about challenging him right now. Ryota appeared to shake it off however, grabbing one of his fish. "Whatever.. Now then, these look like they're about done..." As he was about to put it in his mouth however, the teen looked back at the group. Katsuya, for his part, was looking rather pathetic, staring at the fish... Because quite frankly, he was hungry, and now this guy was going to eat right in front of them. How could he not expect them to stare? "Alright, alright," he finally said, rolling his eyes. "You can eat too!"

 

The blond beamed, and he and Honda charged forwards to grab some fish. "Alright! Thank's man!" Food... FOOD! Stick in each hand, he quickly began mowing down on the skewered and roasted meal, momentarily forgetting why he was even there in his haste. Behind him, the others laughed and joined in, grabbing fish as well.

 

"Hey, leave some for us!"

 

"Hahaha!"

 

A little while later they'd ended up getting along surprisingly well with Ryota. As in really well, the blond decided as Ryota put his harpoon to the side in lieu of conversation. "So, Kajiki," Katsuya said later, as they sat along the dying embers of the fire. "You enter this tournament for th' money too?" So far it seemed everyone was going after that prize in particular, though that was understandable. The card did say 'Great Riches'.

 

He nodded in response to that, arms crossed. "You bet," he said with a grin. "I'm gonna spend the prize money on a boat, so that my dad and I can fish again!" The teen continued to grin, laughing as he turned to look at the ocean for the moment. "I hear the prize is HUGE! I'm gonna get the latest sonar equipment and everything... I'll get a big catch, every day!" The group laughed as he said this, grinning. Hey, life on the seas...

 

Better than perfume and France in his opinion, and from what he could tell this was a family business he was funding here. "Cool way t' live man! Go for it!"

 

At those words, Ryota nodded and continued. "I grew up watching the sea from the day I was born," he began, Katsuya listening intently. "It's like a person to me... I can tell when it laughs, and I can tell when it cries." Ok, that one was a little weirder than his family business theory but... Well, whatever worked he supposed. "But it works both ways," he said with a shout, turning to the group as they jumped slightly. "The ocean watches us too!" A what? He turned back to the sea, drifting off with a fairly blank stare. "A couple years ago, I was out fishing with my dad, like we always did... The ocean was in a good mood..." He'd take that to mean the ocean was calm. From how Ryota sounded about all this at least. "But then," Ryota said with a frown. "It's mood 'changed'." Ok what?

 

Like storm change maybe? Sheesh, translating Ryota's ocean-speak was harder than it seemed...

 

"The sea rose up and swallowed our boat! My dad and I were saved by a passing ship... We were lucky... But our boat was gone, and we couldn't fish anymore!" He grit his teeth as the group watched in silence, before continuing. "It could be a coincidence... But not long before our boat sank, there was an oil spill not far from it." The man's fists clenched, and Katsuya found himself wondering if that wasn't a coincidence. It... Was just a little bit convenient for the two to happen around the same time... "Those idiots angered the sea," he shouted, grabbing his now clean harpoon from the ground and gripping it tight. "They did it, with their pollution..." He turned, blinking as he noted the somewhat blank and nervous glances he was getting. The man was coming off as just a few screws loose really. "Well, anyway," he said with a cough. "Sorry to bore you with all that... Just forget about me..."

 

Katsuya laughed nervously, he and the others getting up. "Hahaha... Yeah.. Er.. Well, we better be goin!" Before crazy harpoon wielding fisherman decides they ticked off the sea. "Thanks for th' fish," he added honestly, while Ryota blinked.

 

The teen stood, frowning slightly as the others made to take off as well. "Yeah? No problem... Hey wait, you're leaving?" As they nodded and continued off, the teen snorted. "Hey hold on a second there... I don't have time for small fry but..." He adjusted his grip on the harpoon, before tossing it. "You're not getting away! Hold on there Yugi!" The harpoon landed a few centimeters from the teen's foot, the others turning abruptly. Did...

 

Did he just throw a _fucking harpoon_ at them? What the fuck!

 

The teen chuckled, crossing his arms. Ok... Don't move... The man was clearly out of his mind... "Hahaha... Yugi... I'm not dumb enough to let a fish get away after eating my bait!" Katsuya frowned at those words, linking them to the earlier comment of 'small fry'. Ok... Using Ryota's 'ocean-speak'... Wait wait bait? Those fish were there on- Now that he thought about it, there had been more than enough for about six people... Damn it. "More so if it's a big catch like you!" Ryota continued grinning, while the others turned with frowns. "This place is my turf," he said with a grin. "So I left bait for hungry duelists like you! This way, you come to me... On the beach, where the fight is in my favor!"

 

The blond tensed, clenching his fists. "So we're jus' stupid fish then, that what yer sayin'!" Great... They'd been suckered into a duel with a crazy harpoon throwing guy. What was with their luck, seriously! And of course... Yugi couldn't well say no when a game was involved.

 

(He'd noticed that...)

 

So a few seconds later they were cheering the teen on from the outside of a duel box. The battle went fairly quick actually, regardless of the fact that Ryota had very, very quickly proven himself to be more than some wanna-be-fisherman; he'd quickly swarmed the field with his sea monsters, hiding

them in the watery field from any of Yugi's attacks. Once Yugi dried up the ocean that Ryota's monsters relied on using a trick with the tide however, they'd easily been fried up by the his 'Curse of Dragon'. (Too bad they weren't real fish, because they sure smelled like it...)

 

The duel had ended with that very mood in fact, but even after that they were still on good terms. Yugi left the box with 5 chips, half the required amount, and Ryota with only one- but regardless of that the teen was still grinning at the match they'd had and promising a rematch some time soon. So with that they were leaving the beach again, each with grins on their faces. "Good luck to you guys," Ryota shouted, the others smiling in response. As they moved down the path they could catch a glimpse of the teen diving back down into the sea, likely to do some more fishing while he waited for his next opponent.

 

"Man..." Katsuya smiled, shaking his head as they moved towards a more wooded area of the mountain. "What a guy... There's somethin' about him you just can't hate!" Granted, in a competition with so much, it was always good to find someone who was a good sport about losing. Heck, one more loss and Ryota would be done for, but he was still cheerfully going on about it as though it were nothing... Even with a job on the line.

 

The others nodded in agreement, Anzu smiling. "I guess all the duelists on the island are here with their own hopes and dreams..." Them included! Though... It was more desperate measures than hopes and dreams he'd admit. Still smiling, Katsuya moved to the front, heading the group.

 

"Alright," he shouted, moving forwards. He still only had two chips, there was a lot to be done! "Let's go to th' next place!" There was a resounding 'Yeah!', and with that, they continued off.

 

* * *

 

Morning.

 

Mokuba lay back on the bed in the castle, staring at the ceiling with a frown. Breakfast had come and gone about an hour ago, from what his watch said. That meant he had four hours before 'Crocketts' came back with lunch... And that the tournament had since started half an hour before. The boy's frown deepened, and he sat up. Alright.

 

He had with him his school bag, which had his gym clothes, books, and the hat that came with his gym uniform. In addition he had his street clothes, and the sheets in the room on the bed- Which he'd been gathering over the week by claiming that the food stained them, before 'magically' losing them as well.

 

That was about it really.

 

The boy pulled out his locket, frown easing up slightly as he looked over his older sister's photo. "Nee-sama," he whispered, before closing it over with a nod. Alright... Given the lack of people outside the door, the tournament had started that day. Which meant Yugi was on the island somewhere, already playing into Pegasus' plan without knowing. He bit his lip, crossing his arms. He needed to get out of here. The room he was in was three stories off the ground though, something he'd noticed when he first looked out the open castle window before. A lack of security meant nothing next to being stuck on an island in a tower. The boy stood up, frowning again. But he had to get out of here, and get Yugi out of the competition... If he willingly forfeited or lost all of his starchips (at least from what he could tell from the speech earlier), he'd 'lose to Pegasus'- And then nothing would stand in his way on the path to KaibaCorp!

 

They'd taken him here, that much was true. Eagerly waiting for him to call for a bathroom break too, he mentally added with a smirk. Now that the tournament had started however, he needed to move! The boy turned to the bed, putting a plan together. He had just enough to cover himself up. And without cameras, Pegasus wouldn't know what he was doing... Mokuba pulled his bag out from under the bed, along with the sheets he'd gathered. He had about four in total by this point, having played it safe with the sheet stealing. Add that to the two on his bed, and the blanket, that was seven pieces of 'rope' all together. "Alright," he muttered, pulling out his gym clothes. Now then...

 

What with these being a white t-shirt and standard shorts, he wouldn't stand out as much. In fact, it wasn't likely too many would recognize him at all! He pulled his scarf over his face, stuffing as much of his hair into his hat as possible before turning to the pile of sheets. He had to move quickly in order for this to work. The blanket would be the last part of the rope, being the more likely to be a 'weak link' he decided, going over the ends as quick as possible. Just tie this end to the bed and... There!

 

He gave an experimental tug on the 'rope', before smirking behind his scarf. Alright! Now to get out of here! Poking his head out the window, Mokuba's eyes narrowed into slits as he looked around for any one watching. After all, there were supposed to be 40 people on this island- One for every two prefectures of Japan, plus the finalists of the World Tournament... And Mutou Yugi of course. Standing on the edge of the window Mokuba looked down, swallowing. Y-Yikes... It was really high up. Maybe he should have thought of a different way, or gotten a few more sheets...

 

Mokuba screwed his eyes shut, shaking the feeling of fear off. He couldn't... He couldn't do that! Not when the fate of his sister's company was literally riding on this. Katsuya might have had the key, but that would only keep the most specific and secret of designs safe; other than that, the company itself was 'easy pickings', with the papers a large asset that would merely ensure its new owner didn't go bankrupt. He had to do this... The boy grabbed the rope of sheets, steeling himself. Now or never!

 

One hop down, and he was half a sheet off the window and two feet from its sill. Another hop, and he was six feet down, his hands clutching the sheet for dear life. He could do this... These knots were strong, they wouldn't fall apart! Three hops... Four hops... Five sheets... Six... Nothing but the blanket now, he realized with a nervous gulp, looking down behind him. Even with all those sheets, after the knots had been made the rope wasn't as long as he'd like... At the end of the blanket, he'd still be two stories up, and even with bushes below that would hurt.

 

Clutching the blanket tight, he frowned. Something felt off... Was he... "A-Ahhh!-!" He paled as the knot around the blanket began to slip, the stuffing inside rearranging to move through the hole the knot made. "N-No... Ack!" The blanket slipped out completely, and he felt himself fall back. It took all he could not to scream as he attempted to go limp, eyes wide as he stared at the sky. Oh god... Oh god he was...

 

- _crash_ -

 

"UNG!" The boy coughed as he rubbed a few leaves from his eyes, crawling out of the bush with a frown. Ow ow ow... That hurt a lot... Rubbing his back he shook it off, frowning. Still... Bruises weren't great and all, but it wouldn't be long before someone saw that rope of sheets. He needed to leave, and fast. With that the boy vanished into the bushes, not a single guard realizing he was missing until a good three hours after he'd made off.

 

* * *

 

It was about 5 hours into that first day that the cheer was cut off rather quickly. "Ack! Let go of me!" someone shouted, the group turning as they saw someone get dragged away. "S-Somebody, help me!"

 

"What the..." Katsuya narrowed his eyes as the familiar form of Saruwatari appeared in the distance. Currently he held one of the competitors in a headlock, glaring at the captive as he continued to shout. They were still a fair distance away, but nonetheless the shouts had them running fairly quickly, not a single one of the group thinking that this could be anything but bad news.

 

Apparently ignorant to the boy's attempts to kick him, the 'suit' holding him merely smirked. "That's enough kid," he stated roughly, growling. "Now pipe down!" Grabbing the kid's glove arm, he held it up with false pity, shaking his head. "Ohhh... Tough luck! Your glove's empty," he said with a grin, holding the boy's neck tighter. As he continued to struggle, Saruwatari's grin grew. "Now that you've lost all of your star chips, you have to leave the island!"

 

The boy panicked, shaking his head. "N-No! That's not it! This weird kid stole them from me," he cried, flailing against the man's iron grip. Clearly not wanting to be called a liar for his efforts, he continued with the defense. "He took my cards too! You can search me now, just please listen!"

 

Saruwatari snorted, unfazed. "I don't care how you lost them! The rules are that if you run out, you have to leave! Now give up!" At this moment the others had finally reached them, and on Katsuya and Honda's part it was taking all they could to not attempt to throttle the guard right there. Hell, they'd done it before at Death-T, wouldn't be hard to do it again!

 

As it was however, they were blocking the path to the docks, meaning that regardless of a fight they'd be at least passing by... Though 'passing by', he thought with a frown, was far from what they wanted to do at this particular moment. The scowl deepened, and he moved forwards to catch a glimpse of the duelist's panicked and pale face. While Saruwatari wasn't necessarily cutting off the kid's oxygen, he definitely wasn't going easy on him either. And ignorance of alibis aside, well that... That wasn't playing fair at all really! "Hey Saruwatari," he shouted, the others blinking at the use of the man's name. Saruwatari as well turned, showing just a little surprise at Katsuya's presence. "Let'm go, you heard th' kid! He got his chips stolen, that ain't th' same as losin' a match! Cut 'm some slack!"

 

Regardless of what he'd said earlier about 'stealing'... This was different; the chips actually affected something- and it'd been a figure of speech anyway. For fish, there was plenty more in the ocean. Besides, he had a bone to pick with Saruwatari.

 

Who was doing a fairly good job of keeping his past out of his work, given the 'blind eye' he was turning to him. Not that he minded really- it just gave him more incentive to punch the 'monkey herder' in the face. "Hmp! Other participants," he said, seemingly emphasizing that word as his captive muttered cries for help, "Are forbidden to interfere... Unless," he added with a grin, "You want to be disqualified too!" Definitely not!

 

The blond snorted, turning to the kid. "Hey, you," he said, the boy blinking. "What'd the guy who stole yer stuff look like? I'll go catch'm for yah." Probably wouldn't be too hard... I was an island after all, and if they were booting the disqualified people off the island there were probably a few gone from the original group as it was.

 

He blinked, swallowing nervously. "W-Well," the boy began, still struggling against Saruwatari's hold, "I couldn't see his face... He wore scarf around his neck, and a covered his head with a red cap... He challenged me to a duel, so I passed it off, but the moment I put down my cards and star chips he took them and ran off!" Great. That wasn't much but... Katsuya looked around, before nodding. If he thought about it after all, someone attempting to hide like that stood out a lot more than someone who wasn't, so really, regardless of the fact that they only had 'scarf and red cap' to go on it was probably ok.

 

"Alrigh'... Which way did he go?" The boy managed to wrench an arm around his captor's grip, pointing off towards the woods. Alright then... So back where they started then. He nodded before turning to Saruwatari with a glare. "Alright... I'm gonna go catch that thief Saruwatari; so don't go kickin' this kid off th' island!"

 

Saruwatari smirked, still holding the boy tight. "Eh... I'll think about it.." Translation being 'I refuse to listen to you'. God damn it...

 

Katsuya frowned, moving to walk away before turning back with a point. "Don't ferget! I promise you, as a man! Star chips are like a Duelists life... I can't forgive anyone f'r stealin' them like that! I'll beat th' crap out of this guy!" As he continued off, he paused, before quickly turning back. "Oh! Almost forgot..." He turned to the boy, grinning. "By th' way... I catch this thief, I'm takin' half your star chips as payment."

 

"E-Eh..?" At the boy's confused look, he took off in the direction he'd pointed, Honda shaking his head behind him.

 

"Man... You're a terrible altruist..." Psh, it wasn't a problem!

 

Katsuya merely ignored that, grinning as he charged forwards. If he got this done, he'd have at least one more star chip, and there would be one less problem on the island. Not to mention it'd be a kick to Saruwatari's face, hehehe... "Lets go!" As they continued down the path, not a single one of them noticed they were being watched, narrowed eyes peering at them from the bushes.

 

* * *

 

A full hour later, and still no sign of even a red cap let alone someone with a scarf and a red cap. "Rats," Katsuya grumbled, arms crossed. The sun hung low in the sky, beating down on their backs as they took a rest along the shore of the island. "No matter how much we look we can't find that kid!" Man... This sucked...

 

"Maybe we should give up," Anzu said with a frown. "I mean... It's been this long..." Only an hour... Not... That long...

 

(Augh...)

 

The teen scowled, standing up with a clenched fist. "Rggh... No way! If I find that kid, I can get my hands on half th' star chips!" Which would get him that much closer to getting Mokuba back! And who knew how far the guy had been in the tournament!

 

As he thought of this, Yugi suddenly turned their attention to the ocean, shouting. "Look," he cried.

"Over there..! A boat of duelists leaving the island!" Wait what? They left already?

 

The group looked over, blinking. "Hey," Katsuya said with a growl, looking over the people on the row boat with a glare. It was hard to tell, but given that the guy they saw earlier had a pink shirt and a green vest of all things (The boy looked like a damned watermelon. Terrible, terrible...)... He was easy to spot. "The kid whose chips were stolen is on there!" Damn it! "That bastard... I knew Saruwatari would do that! AUGH!" There went half his star chips... "Man this sucks..." At that moment, there was a rustling noise, Katsuya turning abruptly with a partially defensive stance. "Nh!"

 

"YUGI," a hoarse, poorly disguised voice shouted, a boy stepping out from the bushes. That voice... Sounded almost like Mokuba when he was trying to imitate his sister... But that couldn't be it! They turned, Katsuya finding himself both elated that the thief was there and confused. This kid... Seemed oddly familiar... He could see why all they had to go on was 'Scarf and Red cap' though; other than that, it was just a white shirt and navy blue pants, which was pretty near the standard gym uniform nation wide!

 

No wonder he didn't bother saying anything, it was basically like saying 'a Japanese kid'! The boy stood there, eyes drifting over Katsuya a moment before turning on Yugi. Yugi turned, frowning for a moment before smirking. "Hn... It looks like he's after me," he muttered, eyeing the kid with an odd look. Said kid seemed to have caught Katsuya's narrowed, suspicious glare, and opted to keep silent. For some reason... "Alright," he said, arms crossed. "You want to duel with me?" There was a nod in response, and Yugi moved to walk towards a nearby duel-box. "Ok then... Come with me!" Weird...

 

They had the thief right here and yet... The kid followed them in, the others standing outside. "Yugi... He agreed t' fight him just like that..." They could have taken him in right there but... This kid... He had to be about Mokuba's age really. He watched as Yugi muttered something, the kid holding out a hand in response. '5'. Probably meant 5 starchips then... "This ain't right... He's gotta know that kid's th' thief, an' yet he's already agreeing t'..." Katsuya shook his head, narrowing his eyes. Twice in a row however, the kid attempted to fight with fairly weak monsters. "This kid really sucks too..." He was no match for Yugi. Hell, Mokuba could probably beat him and he couldn't even-

 

The door was opened, the kid grabbing the star chips and attempting to make a break for it. "N-Nnn!" Three things happened in that instant; first, Katsuya moved to the door instantly, blocking the kid's exit. Not that hard really, and for a moment as he caught a glimpse of the boys eyes he faltered. Blue...

 

Second, Yugi grabbed his arm, pulling him back easily. The boy struggled, both under the glares of the two teens and against Yugi's apparently iron grip. And third...

 

"AUU _UUGH_ ," the boy shouted, still pulling. "Let me go! Let me go," he cried, Katsuya's eyes widening. That voice was-

 

"I knew it," Yugi said, snatching the hat off as his captive groaned. "It's you!" As the long black hair was revealed, Mokuba's bandanna fell to his neck, revealing a frightened and tear-stained face. Even Yugi appeared to be surprised however, and as he let go of Mokuba's arm Katsuya frowned.

 

"Mokuba... I thought you were..." At... Pegasus' castle. Ok, not really a good way to say 'you shouldn't be here' really, lets try something else. The boy shouted with annoyance as they moved outside, eventually sitting down before the others and staring at the ground. "G-Gnnn..." While the boy wiped his face, scarf hanging around his neck again, Honda levelled a particularly stern glare at him.

 

"Alright you little weasel," he said with a glare, using a tone similar to when he had spoken to his nephew a few weeks prior. "Come on, fork over the chips you stole! I know you've got them!" Really, why the hell was he stealing starchips anyways!

 

He shook his head, clenching his fists. "No! I won't!" The boy tensed as Katsuya moved to sit beside him, refusing to look him in the eye.

 

"Come on man... It's bad enough we've been worried sick about yah, you could at least give 'm back..." He sighed as the boy continued to clench his fists. "Jus' do it Mokuba... Come on..."

 

Anzu in the meantime, also leaned down, hands on her knees as she addressed the boy. "Mokuba," she said softly. "We were worried... Are... Are you ok..?" _Wellll_ that was a stupid question... Lets see kidnapping, escaping after a week... Whatever else had gone on that he didn't know about...

 

And apparently he thought so to, fixing a glare at the ground while he responded. "O-Of course I am! I'm fine! I just..." He grit his teeth, wiping his eyes. "All of this... Pegasus sticking his nose in while I'm just trying to wait for my n.. My nii-sama to wake up..! Trying to take what's h... His!" Before anyone could say anything on that (After all, Mokuba had been getting along with Yugi fine lately, so he could have just said something), he continued. "But that's not the reason I'm doing this... It's not!" He should hope not!

 

As he said this, Anzu looked over to Katsuya. "Then... Kaiba's still..."

 

Mokuba was pulled into Katsuya's arms, the blond gaining his more 'calm', 'big brother' attitude as he nodded. "Yeah... Vegetative state, 24 hour care... You thought that'd change in just a week?" the teen added, frowning. He watched as the boy winced at those words, before continuing with a sigh. "...Greatest doctors in th' world looked at 'im, and they still say s- he'll spend th' rest of life like that..."

 

As the others tensed, turning away awkwardly with that comment, Mokuba continued to clench his fists. "Feh... You guys think you're so smart," he muttered, addressing the others it seemed. As they frowned in response the boy continued, face torn between worry and anger. "You don't even know why Pegasus bothered holding this tournament, do you! I don't blame you Yugi, for coming... But Katsuya-nii, I even told you about Pegasus..! You could have at least assumed..."

 

He blinked, before giving a wry smirk. "Why do yeh think I'm here..? I assumed th' worst... Heck, that's the reason why the tournament's on right? T' kidnap you an' pull us in to get at the company right?" That... Was it right? The boy smiled wryly, while the others looked at Katsuya with dull surprise. That was an oddly smart guess... And from the kid's expression, he'd at least touched the reason.

 

"Close! I'll tell you why... Yeah, Pegasus wants to gain control of KaibaCorp... But to do that, Pegasus has to beat you first," he shouted, turning to Yugi as the teen blinked.

 

"Wait..." Katsuya frowned, narrowing his eyes. "Why would Pegasus have t' beat Yugi in order t' gain control of th' company..?" That made no sense, what so ever... The others nodded, though they were considerably more out of the loop given that Mokuba hadn't shared this sort of information with them.

 

"Yeah," Anzu said, frowning. "And why would Pegasus want-"

 

He snorted. "Morons..." Mokuba smiled sadly, wiping his eyes. "Pegasus created Duel Monsters, but it wasn't enough to get the game really going... He needed KaibaCorp to really take off, something he did with the 'Duel-Boxes'... The ones that Nii-sama designed. But after he lost to you, Yugi," he said with a frown, "Well... He was president after all... And without a president, the stock plummeted! So of course, Pegasus took advantage of this! After all, with Nii-sama's machines, his cards were becoming a best sell; if he controlled both halves, he'd effectively gain billions! So when he set up a meeting with the Board of Directors," the boy continued, staring at the ground. "Well... They're the top five stock holders after all..." As the others listened, Katsuya frowned, shaking his head.

 

So when Mokuba said 'Big Five', that meant... "Th' 'Big Five'... Wait, don't tell me that..."

 

Mokuba nodded, the others considerably unaware of what was going on. "He did... He made an offer to them, and since they now hold the most control over the company, it was an easy deal... There was only one condition, one thing! KaibaCorp relied on a 'Kaiba' holding the position as 'number one'... When you beat him Yugi, that image crumbled." His frown deepened, and the boy turned to face the teen. "Their condition is that Pegasus beat you, in a game of duel monsters, in order to 'restore' that image!"

 

As the boy stared at him, Yugi chuckled, smirking. "I see... So Pegasus is really looking forward to beating me then, isn't he..." And it looked like Yugi was looking forward to beating the shit out of

 

"Gh... Don't laugh Yugi," Mokuba shouted, the one sitting with him rubbing his ears. "Not even you can defeat him, not even you..." He gritted his teeth, eyes wide with fear. "N... Nobody in the world can beat him... Even my nii-sama told me that he was invincible... That's why," he said, Katsuya looking down with a slightly confused frown, "That's why I came up with this plan after escaping... If I could steal all of your star chips Yugi, you'd be disqualified before fighting Pegasus... You wouldn't have lost a real match, so the agreement between Pegasus and the Big Five would be void!"

 

Honda frowned, crossing his arms. "Wait... So that's why you came to the island? You little snot, you had Jonouchi worried sick! You know how weird that was, having him actually worry about something!" Uh thanks? The boy shook his head, growling.

 

"Moron! That's not it either! They brought me here," he said with a frown, "The big five! Because I have the key..." As the boy grinned, Katsuya and Yugi shared a glance. Um... No he didn't. But hey, for the sake of covering things up really.

 

"You... Have the key..." Honda shook his head, before continuing. "The key to what?"

 

Mokuba continued grinning, before answering. "Hehehe... A little while ago, the Big Five decided to snatch me out of school and search my house... They were going to steal all the documents from Niisama's safe, in order to complete the deal with Pegasus... But I'd already hidden the key," he said with a laugh, eyes briefly passing over Katsuya. "And I made a replica out of foil... So when they held me before that safe, and I swallowed the copy in front of them..."

 

He continued to laugh, Katsuya shaking his head with a groan. "So they brought you here thinkin' it was in yer stomach... Ev'n though it'll probably be mush by th' time it comes out th' other end...” Euuuughhh... He and Honda held fairly disgusted stares as Mokuba continued laughing, shaking his head with a grin. God, what was it with kids and toilet humor...

 

Did he do this crap when he was twelve? "Haha! Yep! Every time I went to the bathroom, those morons would come running to see if it came out! Heheheeee!" Abruptly, the expression grew serious, and he looked back at the ground. "But I won't let them have Kaiba Corp... Even if they rip open my insides looking for nothing! Katsuya-nii," he said, turning to the blond. "Do you... Do you still have..." To the others surprise, the blond pulled out the key box and nodded. While Yugi momentarily stared at it blankly, the others instead turned to look at Mokuba. "Yeah; didn' know it was that important, but I kept it... You know tha' Pegasus knows yah don' have it though right..? Hell... It's th' reason I knew you were here!" While Mokuba stared with wide and possibly disheartened eyes, Honda frowned.

 

The others stared at Katsuya as well, their own expressions a fair bit shocked. "Dude... You were in on this too?" Apparently being kept out of the loop was upsetting. He snorted. "Psh, not this part! All I knew was that I was handed a key, sheesh! Which reminds me..." The blond looked at Mokuba, frowning. "Why didn' yah jus' come t' us once y' escaped in th' first place? Instead 'f you know... Stealin' half th' islan's star chips!" Would have solved a lot of-

 

Ow! Mokuba quickly smacked the still sitting blond over the head, before standing up. "Moron! Didn't being part of the security team teach you anything?" As the others stared, he snorted, continuing. "If I did that, they'd probably guess who the 'thief' was right off the bat! And just showing up would bring attention to myself as well, doing the same thing! That's why!" Well at least he knew now..! Moving aside from Katsuya, the teen also getting to his feet, he continued. "In any case... If Pegasus hasn't made a move on you for the key, he's probably up to something... At least I know you've still got it though... Listen, everyone," he said with a determined stare. "I know you probably don't believe me but... While he made Death-T to get revenge, that was never my Nii-sama's real dream..." He swallowed, staring up at everyone with a more honest stare than most of them had ever had the chance to see. "Nii-sama... Nii-sama made a promise, many years ago... To build amusement parks everywhere that poor children could go to free of charge! So that everyone could have fun!" Hey... That was... Wow, that was really noble actually. Why didn't he tell him this before? Mokuba continued, the others staring. "That's why he dedicated his life to KaibaCorp," he said with wide eyes. "And that's why I'll give my life to keep it safe! So that when he wakes up, he can finish his dream, just like he promised!"

 

The group stood in silence, Katsuya looking down with a nod. Alright... It sounded a little off for Seto but... "...I believe yah, Mokuba!" A few of the others blinked, a little surprised that he had said this so quickly; after all, he had a habit of clearly voicing his hate for Seto... Though the blond didn't doubt that they noticed the sudden decline in this 'voicing of hatred' over the past few months. He levelled an intense stare at him, continuing. "But yah gotta believe in Yug' too, understand?" At Mokuba's frown, he sighed, scratching his head. Alright... Plan 'B'... "Listen... Didn' yah think abou' how he got us here in th' first place? F'r me, it's a lil more obvious, I got that... But f'r Yugi..."

 

Mokuba frowned, turning to the teen. "What do you mean..."

 

"Yugi's grandfather," Anzu began, arms wrapped around herself as she looked away briefly. "He... Had his soul taken by Pegasus. We know his tricks... He can read minds, that's why he seems 'invincible'... But if Yugi doesn't fight, his grandfather will never wake up..." As the woman turned to look down at Mokuba again, she gave him a pleading look. "So please... If you could give them back, those starchips... We need every bit of help we can get!"

 

The boy stared, seeming to hesitate before Yugi nodded in agreement. "I promise you Mokuba," he said, looking down the the stern eyes that could do nothing but speak the truth. "I will defeat Pegasus! You have my word!" Katsuya looked down at the boy, waiting for his response. After a few seconds, Mokuba looked up at him, and eventually he gave the teen a nod. "...Ok..." He reached out his hand, Yugi waiting to take the star chips. "I... I believe you, Yugi!"

 

Before the exchange was made however, there was a shout from the side. "STOP RIGHT THERE ," Saruwatari stated, standing to the side with authority as the others froze. He held his arms behind his back with a fairly smug look across his face, the light causing a blinding glare to bounce from his sunglasses. "Exchanging star chips outside a duel is a violation of the rules!" Of course it was, bastard... At least Yugi still had three starchips; Mokuba had failed to successfully snatch all of them from the table in his mad-dash it seemed. "One more move," the man said with a smirk, "And you're disqualified!" He chuckled, moving towards them as Katsuya moved to shield the boy. "I finally found you Mokuba... You sure led me on a wild goose chase!" Yeah, and like hell he was letting him by... Saruwatari glared as Katsuya stood between him and the boy, eyes narrowed. "Now then, move aside before I have you disqualified for aiding the thief!"

 

"Like hell I'm gonna-" He paused as Mokuba shoved past him, giving him an odd look. "What..." 'Don't do it,' he seemed to be saying. 'You'll do more in the tournament than out and off the island, so don't do it!'. And when he thought about it... Damn it, he was right..! But to just stand here while Mokuba was taken... "G- ... Damn it... Two of those star chips are Yugi's! Give 'm back!" As Saruwatari snorted, grabbing Mokuba by the arm rather painfully as the boy moved from behind Katsuya, he snarled. "An' let Mokuba go too! He's already gone t' yah willingly, you don' have t' manhandle him while you're at it! Unless yah dropped yer morals when ye switched companies!"

 

"Hn!" Ignoring the blond, Saruwatari placed a firm grip on Mokuba, smirking. If anything, he moved the boy into a choke hold, something that had the others move to possibly hold Jonouchi back. "How

many times are you going to make me say it? The only way to get star chips is to duel for them, so the answer is 'no'!"

 

At this, Yugi frowned, stepping forwards with crossed arms. "In that case," he began, eyes narrowing as he pulled out his deck. "I challenge you to a duel!" Saruwatari merely chuckled, shaking his head. "Hahaha... Sorry, but I don't play games... So I won't be playing you." Which also meant he couldn't release Mokuba. “If you insist however, I'll arrange for a 'special opponent'!" Ok, that didn't sound good...

 

Ignoring that, Katsuya moved to attack Saruwatari and get Mokuba out of there; so what if he'd be disqualified! He'd have what he come for, namely Mokuba! He might not particularly agree, but the fact was if they did just that then Pegasus couldn't touch them! And while it would be one last shot at Shizuka's eyes that suffered for it... Even she would tell him that the boy's life topped her vision any day! In an instant however he froze, watching Saruwatari pressed a gun firmly against the boy's skull. "You... You fucking bastard..." He stood there, gritting his teeth. A gun...

 

All he had were his fists, and in a hostage situation... Damn it, why did security training have to come to mind now, when all it did was tell him he couldn't do anything!

 

Saruwatari grinned. "Now then... If I were you Jonouchi, I would pay close attention to that duel box, where your friend's opponent is sitting!" The blond gritted his teeth, doing as he was told. No matter how you looked at it, getting Mokuba out of that situation was effectively impossible... By the time he moved... "And please realize this... If you try to make a move for the boy again, I will pull this trigger!" He didn't doubt it either. Damn it... Damn it! He wasn't even allowed to turn around! "Now then... Yugi," he continued, the teen narrowing his eyes. "Take a look at your opponent!"

 

The others turned as well, Saruwatari facing them with the same 'or else' stare that he'd levelled with Katsuya. They looked into the duel box, squinting through the oddly thick haze of holographic fog before jumping. "W-When the hell..." There was a set of shadows in there- And in front of the larger one was... "Th-That's-"

 

"It can't be, Jonouchi just said..."

 

"But then who-"

 

Seto. It almost looked like Seto, like before at Death-T but- He frowned. No...

 

"Nii-sama," Mokuba said, the boy as well being given a clear view. The fog began to clear, and they squinted as they attempted to make out the details of the person. "Or... Someone who looks like..." His eyes narrowed, the fog finally clearing to reveal who was in there.

 

"No," he shouted, tightening his jaw. "Look closer!" He clenched his fists, shaking as he looked at the one inside the box. A wooden and clearly false mock-up of Kaiba's form, smaller than the woman's real self, sat on the lap of a wizened old man. The man's mouth was covered with a gag of sorts, a hat lowered over his face to prevent anyone from seeing just who he was. Hands gripped the back and arms of the puppet, and Katsuya found himself shaking as he stared into the box. "It's a puppet tha' looks like 'im," the blond said, holding back a growl as the puppet gave a wave. "An some kinda ventriloquist..."

 

The puppet continued to 'grin', seeming to leer at Yugi through the box with rage. That bastard...

Making fun of her like that... Katsuya looked over at Yugi, who was also shaking with anger at the puppet's mockery. No matter what, after all that had happened... Even not counting the events going on a the house now, this was a new low!

 

"That's your opponent Yugi," Saruwatari said with a laugh, apparently oblivious to the waves of anger emanating off the two teens. "The ghost of Seto Kaiba! Get in the battle box!" Ghost? What the hell were they trying to pull! She wasn't dead!

 

"YOU JERKS," Mokuba shouted, struggling against Saruwatari's hold. "THAT'S NOT MY BROTHER! That's not him," he roared tears visibly building in his eyes again. "My brother's at home, YOU HEAR ME! YUGI," he cried choking as Saruwatari roughly pulled back on the boy's body. "YUGI! BEAT HIM! BEAT HIM TO A PULP ! YUGI!" The shouts persisted, the teens moods only becoming more incensed.

 

Did they have... Any shame... Any _honor_ at all... Doing this when the original sat on a bed, unmoving, unresponsive... As Yugi moved to pass Katsuya to do just that with enraged eyes, the blond stopped him for a moment. The teen looked up at his friend as Katsuya stood there, whispering as he shook. "Yugi," he muttered, voice clearly forced to the low volume that it was. It was done barely however, and if he wasn't careful anyone would have been able to hear him at the moment. The sheer iron in his words risked it just as thoroughly. "Yugi... Slaughter this guy... And leave nothing left..." His friend looked at him oddly, staring at him with wide eyes before nodding.

 

An odd request from the one who would ordinarily just be content with watching and shouting from the sidelines. The phrase 'beware the silent' seemed oddly fitting here even. "I will," he muttered, turning back to the box. With not a word more he walked into the box, speakers built on the top leaving nothing that occurred within to the audience's imagination.

 

Behind the group Saruwatari laughed, grinning cruelly before speaking again. "By the way... Mokuba... I've noticed that you haven't even said hello to me; don't you remember me at all?" It would be a cold day in hell before they forgot him.

 

The boy growled, glaring up at the man. "Why should I even acknowledge you," he spat, eyes red and cold. "You've obviously handed in your resignation, Saruwatari!" He chuckled still more, grinning.

 

"Heh heheh... Well, at least I have the honor of being remembered... But did you know," he said with a laugh, the others growing pale. "Even back then, I was still acting as a spy, working for Industrial Illusions!" WHAT? So even back then, when he'd first been pulled into the house... Katsuya tensed, barely keeping himself from turning around. It was only the threat of the gun that prevented it as Mokuba voiced that same surprise. "That's right," Saruwatari said with a chuckle. "While I was 'babysitting' you, I reported all of KaibaCorps confidential information to Pegasus-san, every last thing, right down to all the things I overheard in your 'conversations' with your brother..." It was a damn good thing that gender wasn't mentioned in those conversations then. "And that's not all I stole Mokuba," he added with a grim laugh, Katsuya swallowing as he forced himself to continue looking at the box. "Just watch this duel... And you'll see just how well the Ventriloquist of the Dead does his job!" Of the _Dead_..!? Again with the ghosts... With...

 

No... Seto-chan...Seto wasn't dead! She was alive, he knew it, it'd only been a week after all, and she'd been so close to recovering and possibly beating the shit out of him! She had to be... She... She was alive..!

 

...Wasn't she?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the original version of this fanfic, there were links to various pictures I'd drawn for the sake of the fic. After fussing around with Photobucket for a bit (where the original images were hosted), I've opted not to try and re-link them.
> 
> However- I may re-draw certain key references in the future, and those will be linked from the fanfic.
> 
> As a Geography Note: Japan is divided into 47 prefectures; 43 are standard prefectures, while two are urban (Osaka, Kyoto), another is Hokkaido, and then Tokyo is a 'metropolis'. Notably, these prefectures aren't cities themselves- though in the case of Osaka and Kyoto, the capital is Osaka and Kyoto unsurprisingly. (Hokkaido has Sapporo, in the meantime)
> 
> Since there were 40 total duelists, not including Yugi and Jonouchi themselves, the math thus went as follows: 24 duelists who hailed from the top non-finalist prefectures (it was rounded up from 'half of 47') + 16 finalists (including of course, Haga and Ryuzaki). This in turn means only 7 prefectures aren't represented in the Duelist Kingdom! (Not bad)


	4. Cards Bare Their Teeth

 

He could hear their shouts as he entered the box. However as he walked towards his seat, that was the least of his worries. 'Beat that creep', they were shouting. 'That puppet's messed up', Honda was adding in the background. And among it all he could hear Mokuba's broken cries at the imitation of his brother, while the one who would ordinarily the the loudest of the group held a morose and fearful silence.

 

'Yugi', 'Other Yugi', or 'Dark Yugi' as he was known (He didn't even know himself after all) glared at the puppet and its controller as he sat down. ' _Slaughter him,_ ' Jonouchi had said as he entered. ' _Leave nothing left_.'

 

He would do just that. "Today is the day," the puppet said in a broken tone of Kaiba's voice. Wooden limbs moved in an oddly slim fashion as it placed a deck of cards on the table, still 'grinning' back at 'his' opponent. " _The day I k-k-k-kill you! Kyakyakyakya~~_ " Tch... A faltering stutter as the ventriloquist attempted to perfectly emulate a voice that was already fairly unique. The man failed terribly at it, Yugi noted with narrowed eyes. In fact he doubted anyone could create a duplicate of the particular tones that Kaiba used; the fact that this man was still attempting to do so...

 

He growled at the puppet's voice, gripping the table. This scum... Humiliating Kaiba's memory and form, degrading the name of a fellow classmate he'd considered a 'true duelist'... Yes, he'd done things against himself, his friends, and his family that most would consider unforgivable. But that was the point of the penalty game he'd imposed. The chance to _redeem_ himself. And he knew that Kaiba would overcome that! Even in the duel at Death-T he'd shown that, playing a completely fair game during their final match! And he wasn't the only one...

 

If even Jonouchi could find faith in Kaiba, then he would hold firm in those beliefs! The puppet held up three fingers, before placing three star chips on the table with a 'clack'. Pulling the hand back under, it looked back towards its opponent with a broken chuckle. "Y-Y-Yugi... We'll each bet th-th-three star chips..! Hee heh hee..."

 

Yugi tensed at the grating chuckles, pulling out his remaining three with a nod. "Fine... All of my star chips then!" If he won this, he'd have six rather than five. A fine 'bonus' for taking out scum such as this. He watched as the puppet drew five cards, grabbing his own with a snarl. "Duel!"

 

'Kaiba', though he refused to believe that this was somehow him in any way shape or form, placed one card on the field and continued to laugh. "I p-p-p-play B-Battle Ox!" The monster appeared, Yugi tensing; that card- The minotaur card! He watched as the armored ox-man snorted, stomping the ground and giving an experimental swing with his ax. This card was one of Kaiba's. So he was playing with a duplicate deck? Tch...

 

Just how far had these people fallen... He looked over his hand, before levelling a stare to his opponent and moving a card to the field. "Then I'll fight you with this," he said with a frown, watching as the familiar, violet robed sorcerer appeared on the field. "The Dark Magician!" The monster appeared, its attack power easily dwarfing that of the ox. He pointed the wizard forwards, still frowning. "Black Magic!"

 

The puppet cried as its life points dropped to 1200, reeling back slightly. Tch. This ventriloquist... To just what extent was he going to insult Kaiba's existence? He listened to the shouts outside, swallowing. They were all wondering the same thing he was, no doubt. It was only one card, but what else of Kaiba's did this scum have in his position? It should be impossible to recreate the deck completely, but why... Why, even when he had already gained a lead on his opponent, was he so nervous?

 

The fact was, even without the deck this ventriloquist really did have him on edge. A 'vegetative state', that was what Jonouchi had said Kaiba was in at that moment. He didn't know the details but... According to the 'real' Yugi's memories, his 'other self', a coma could be induced, as could vegetation, by means of chemicals and machinery. The body could be kept alive even when the soul had given in... What happened...

 

If Kaiba truly had failed...

 

If he had given into his darkness and died, his body kept breathing only through the machines? Leaving nothing but a shell and a dying hope for Mokuba? "And now," the puppet said calmly, drawing a card with a few cracks of wood. "F-f-for my next card... Keh heh heh!" Yugi frowned as the puppet began to laugh, narrowing his eyes. What was he up to? It continued to laugh, gaining a mad grin as its controller altered the shape of its eyes. "Th d-d-dragon of r-r-revenge has risen from hell!" The puppet cackled, placing the card on the table. "Are you r-r-ready Yugi!"

 

"What..!" Impossible... As shouts resounded from outside however, he watched in horror as the card materialized. Bright light filled the spot, a loud roar piercing the air. White scales shimmered into existence as the dragon reared on its legs, flexing its wings with a 'grin' of sorts. The damned puppet continued to laugh as Kaiba's monster appeared, roaring loudly as it glowed. Regardless of the seeming hesitation of the card... It was there. It was...

 

_Impossible!_ " Come forth! Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Impossible..! Kaiba's blue eyes white dragon card... It was just not possible, there were only three in existence and the only one with those was-

 

A shout came from outside, and he turned. "Be careful Yugi," Mokuba was shouting, Katsuya doing the same. He watched as the boy squirmed in Saruwatari's grip, while Katsuya fixed a wide eyed glare at his opponent. "Industrial Illusions sent a spy to steal Kaiba's cards! He's using them now!" A spy-! He turned back, the boy continuing to shout for him to win. Tch... To think he'd stoop that low. Stealing these cards... And if he stole the entire deck, that meant-

 

"Heh heh heh heh..." The puppet continued to chuckle, smirking darkly. Just how many different ways could wood be bent into these expressions... How many expressions would this piece of filth try and fail to emulate? "It's really m-me Yugi," the doll began, with the same clacking chuckle he'd started with. As Yugi grit his teeth it continued to speak, a glint appearing in the ventriloquist's eyes. "I am b-b-borrowing the b-b-body of this doll... To g-g-get my revenge..." It continued to laugh, the teen tensing under it's 'gaze'. "Be prepared... Heh heh heh heh heh..!" Had he died, he briefly wondered, gaze lowering somewhat. Had he really gone, failing the challenge imposed upon him to succumb to a permanent darkness? Even with the amount of faith that Mokuba, even Jonouchi had had in the teen? He could tell that there was something connecting those two to him somehow, someway. If... Kaiba had been unable to repair those connections however...

 

He shook, expression sinking deeper into a mix of anger and thought. An undying part of Kaiba's soul... Filled with an endless grudge and a thirst for vengeance... had it really come out from that penalty game, to inhabit this doll? ' _Kaiba'_ , he thought to himself bitterly. The challenge that he'd imposed, that he had likely failed... And even in death, with this scum and filth insulting his mere memory... ' _Will you always be my arch-rival!_ ' He continued to shake, before a shout from outside stopped him.

 

"Calm down Yugi," Katsuya shouted, the teen blinking. His friend's expression had softened only slightly, and it was likely for the mere fact that he was currently looking at someone other than the opponent. "It's just th' ventriloquist throwin' his voice! This thing's got nothin' t' do with the real Se- Kaiba! Believe me on that!" Yugi frowned slightly, as though about to say something. In the end, he simply stared, thoughts running rampant in his mind. Odd...

 

Now why had he stumbled over Kaiba's name? In fact, it sounded almost as though he was about to refer to the teen by his given one rather than his last... He turned, facing the puppet of Kaiba with a glare. Not the time. He needed to focus on this duel, and win. The glare deepened as it continued to speak, cackling in a manner quite unlike the real Kaiba. "L-L-Let's place more cards," he said with a laugh, grinning. Its eyes stared blankly at Yugi from across the table, unblinking and frozen in one direction. "I w-w-won't attack with Blue Eyes White Dragon yet... Because by f-f-forfeiting my attack this turn," the puppet continued, "I can p-play this card face down instead..." He chuckled, grinning darkly. "Soon your m-m-monsters will have nowhere to run!" That card...

 

He looked at it with narrowed eyes, frowning. Was it a spell, or a trap... If it had a cost, it was not likely to be good. He'd need to be cautious, particularly with that Blue Eyes on the field. "It's my turn," he muttered, drawing a card. There weren't any monsters powerful enough to challenge Blue-Eyes in his deck... Not with normal attacks in any case. "Dark Magician goes into defense mode," he said, shifting the card as the magician did just that. "And I'll also play Curse of Dragon in defense mode as well..." He'd need to find some sort of spell... A trap... Anything.

 

Yugi's eyes narrowed as the puppet began to laugh again. "I kn-kn-knew you'd do that," he said, grinning. Of course it did... After all, defense mode monsters didn't cause damage when destroyed. And there wasn't much else he could do other than that. "But it w-won't save you," it continued, causing the teen to narrow his eyes further. "Th-That's because I'm playing this! I activate my trap," the puppet shouted, revealing the card 'stop defense'. What! He watched with horror as the monsters switched modes, the puppet cackling. "Now all your monsters are in attack mode," the puppet cried, Yugi frowing pale. Because of that... "Keh heh heh heh... That's it," the puppet continued. "There's nowhere to hide! Go, Blue-Eyes White Dragon! Burst Stream! Annihilate the enemy dragon!" Curse of Dragon was eliminated on the spot in a blast of blazing white fire, Yugi's eyes widening briefly. This confident voice... No matter how hard the ventriloquist tried it wasn't the same.

 

But the echoing undertone that succeeded was haunting the entire room. He watched as his life points were halved, the others shouting as he clenched his fists. No... How was he supposed to win against that! For him to draw Blue Eyes as his first card was the worst possible luck! The cackling continued, mirrored by the bodyguard, 'Saruwatari's laugh outside. "AHAHAHHAAA," he was shouting, causing the teen to tense more. Amid the shouts from outside, he could pick out the suit's words clearly, as though he were right beside him. "I bet Kaiba's happy," he was saying with a shout, still laughing. "If he's watching from heaven!" More resounding shouts... Katsuya turning to yell angrily at the man only to be thrown back by the threat of a gun. Anzu and Honda holding him back, while Bakura attempted and failed to calm him...

 

Mokuba's loud wails of misery and denial... "HE'S NOT DEAD ," he cried, voice faltering at the volume it was shouted at. "HE'S NOT!"

 

"Listen to 'm Yugi," Katsuya was shouting. "HE AIN'T DEAD !" The blond was turned back to the box now, expression causing even he to take a second look for a bare moment. It was a face he had never seen save once, through his other self's eyes... And even then, this expression seemed different from what he saw in the warehouse two months prior. "HE'S ALIVE!"

 

Mokuba as well continued to scream, soon overpowering even Katsuya's voice. "MY NII-SAMA ISN'T DEAD ," he cried, tears streaming down his face. "YUGI... YUGI! You told me... YOU PROMISED! THAT MY NII-SAMA WILL COME BACK! AND I BELIEVED YOU! I BELIEVE YOU! AND I'M STILL WAITING," he wailed, Yugi gritting his teeth at the shouts. "I'M WAITING AND WAITING, BECAUSE I STILL BELIEVE WHAT YOU TOLD ME!" Mokuba...

 

Yugi turned, watching as Katsuya shook from the inability to comfort the boy, as Mokuba shook and caved under the pressures of everything going on... He was right. Both of them... They believed in Kaiba... And so did he! He had to..! He believed in Kaiba! No matter what! Kaiba...

 

Kaiba was still alive, and still coming closer and closer to waking up, closer to solving the puzzle of his soul! "I never lose," he spat out, drawing a card. His strength was renewed... And he would not falter! If he played the right cards, even the dragons would fall! "And I won't change that even now!" The teen looked over his card, before smirking. Now this would work for now... "Magical Hats," he shouted, playing the card as four hats appeared. "And I play it on the Dark Magician!"

 

The magician was covered completely, and the four hats merged into one before dividing. They then revolved around the table at high speed, switching and moving through the others before coming to a stop in a solid line. Yugi smirked at the ventriloquist's confusion, the man's expression further supporting what the others had been saying. This wasn't 'real'... There was no necromancy, or spirit channeling at work. Now then.

 

The puppet frowned, before sneering as he drew a card. "I'll take out your hats one at a time," he said with a snarl, voice faltering slightly as he pointed the dragon forwards. The dragon in turn roared, charging a beam of white lightening within its mouth. "BURST STREAM!" As one of the hats disintegrated, the puppet scowled; obviously, he'd missed his target. All that was left in its place as it vanished into smoke was a blank space on the playing field. "No Dark Magician... Hmp..."

 

Yugi chuckled, drawing another card. "Too bad," he said with a smirk. The first card was to stall; this one would shut down at least the first of Kaiba's dragons if he was lucky enough. "My turn... And I play this card," he said with a grin, the card vanishing into the hat he placed it in. Three hats... And one with a trap. His smirk grew as the puppet stared in confusion, and the teen explained. "Hnhnhnn.. Three top hats... If you choose the right one," he began, taunting the opponent now that he was confident in his playing. "You destroy the Dark Magician, and I lose 500 life points... But if you destroy the wrong hat," he said, grinning darkly. "You'll activate the trap card I just played..." And when that happened...

 

The table fell silent for a moment, before the puppet scowled, the eyes of its controller narrowing as well. "I know," he said with a shout. He continued to frown, before pointing. "There! The middle one! BURST STREAM!" Middle eh? Well, he thought with a chuckle. Middle it was... White flames and lightning struck the hat, fabric burning away to nothingness as the ventriloquist stared expectantly. Watching his opponent, Yugi continued chuckling as a card was revealed in the smoke of the flaming hat.

 

"Hnhnhn... Good choice," he began, watching as the puppet and ventriloquist's faces both fell instantly. They saw what it was. And what it was was a trap. "For me that is!" The spellbinding circle appeared on the field, lowering Blue-Eyes attack as it locked it into position. Blue-Eyes howled with rage as the circle tightened on him, rendering him completely immobile. "Now Dark Magician," he shouted, the monster in question hopping out of his hat. Without a reason to exist, the other hats vanished completely from existence, leaving the Dark Magician alone on the field. "Attack the Blue Eyes White Dragon! BLACK MAGIC !"

 

The Magician nodded, aiming his staff forwards before firing a large blast of dark energy forwards. The energy surrounded Blue-Eyes completely, the dragon howling as it disappeared. His turn ended, the others cheering as he did so. Now that the dragon was gone, he could focus on attacking this imposter...

 

The cheer however, quickly vanished, as the smoke clearing to reveal what the ventriloquist had done for his own turn. Yugi looked forwards in shock, hardly believing what he saw. "No..!" To have drawn that very monster again..! Right when he needed it!

 

The second Blue-Eyes roared in anger, charging an attack before avenging its fallen partner. "BURST STREAM," came the puppet's mad cackle, and as the magician was blown away Yugi was left with 500 life points. How... How! "Keh heh heh... What's the m-matter Yugi," he said with a grin. The dragon seemed to only partially share in his mood, giving a quite growl as it sat on the opponent's side of the field. "I just played the s-s-second Blue Eyes White Dragon!" He continued cackling, and Yugi's face fell considerably. "Have you forgotten," the puppet began, grinning in response to the fallen expression on his opponent's face, "That I have th-three blue eyes white dragons..? Now p-play your next card," it continued, laughter cutting the air with a screech louder than nails across a chalkboard. "So the d-dragon can turn it to a-ashes! Keh hehehehee!" The second dragon... Yugi winced, gritting his teeth. He hadn't anticipated the dragons to be drawn so close together. He didn't have a card... Yugi's eyes lowered as his final hope vanished, body shaking considerably. He didn't have a single card in his deck that could beat the blue eyes white dragon... He'd used his only change against the last one, and now that the second was already out on the board, while his own field was empty...

 

He closed his eyes, mentally cursing himself. He... He lost...

 

* * *

 

It was almost light in there.

 

So light in fact, that unlike when she would need a window to see around her slightly, she could see the entire room she sat in. Well... Almost. Seto looked up from where she sat, face rather blank as she took in her surroundings. The sun was shining. Though the edges of her vision were clouded from existence, she could see her backyard. Most trees had lost their leaves, but in her yard there were a few stubbornly clinging to their own. Not many remained on the branches of course... But it was enough that there was a small series of gold and red specks across her trees. Her lawn of course was cleared of the leaves, leaving it the same green colour. But from the sky, she could see a few flakes of snow begin to fall.

 

Ah... It was snowing. Though she didn't much care for it, it didn't seem to bug her much. All together, the scene was actually fairly calming and yet... She stood, frowning as she held her puzzle close. Something was wrong, she thought, staring at the hole in her puzzle. She wanted to attach this last piece... That one piece which would join the now three stationary 'prongs' in her puzzle, the three tiny pieces that just needed something to join them to the rest of the sphere. Yet she couldn't find it, no matter how hard she tried. She knew almost everything now, from beginning to end about her life, but something, what was it...

 

What was it she was missing? She'd managed to connect the last two to each other, attaching it to the 'base' she'd found before, but without the piece that was missing she wouldn't be able to finish the puzzle!

 

In the distance, she could hear a roar... A flash of white lightening, and a shout...

 

She looked down, a small window of sorts opening in the same way it did ages and ages ago. Like that time long before where it was nothing but a foggy, hazed curtain of grey there, but why... Why did she feel... Why did she feel almost like she was needed somewhere?

 

It was a nagging, pressuring feeling that made it seem as though if she didn't act soon, it would be pointless, but why? A dizzying shudder passed through her as the larger window she had, the one to what she decided was 'reality' closed up. She clutched her puzzle, frowning as another cold shudder passed. Though her memories were otherwise unaffected now, the feelings were nonetheless giving her the chills. Why did she feel weak, feel small... Why did she feel afraid? She was...

 

According to her memories, not someone who was afraid. Never afraid, she couldn't be afraid! Not from what she saw. She hid, yes, but not because she was _afraid_ , right? It was because of something else, because of something she had to protect... Her fingers dug into the puzzle, and her eyes narrowed.

 

Scared... The woman, a girl again really, grit her teeth. Her puzzle was almost complete. She was close, so close... Why did she feel like everything was riding on that piece though! Why did it feel like everything up to this point would be for naught if she didn't get that piece soon! She looked through the window at her feet, frowning. Where was it... Where _was_ it... Abruptly, something golden appeared before her from the window, and she held it in her hands.

 

"...This piece..."

 

There was nothing but despair in it. No memories, no visions... Just despair, like what she felt now. Fear, pain, hopelessness... All the emotions she wanted to have nothing to do with, all the emotions she wanted to see nothing more of, to hear nothing more of, to feel nothing of...

 

She clenched the piece, gritting her teeth. "...You... You want me to acknowledge that..?" The piece merely shined innocently, as though to agree. Tch... This wasn't the piece she needed either. It fit into the side yes, but it was only half of the base, half of what she wanted right now! Seto sneered, staring at it in disgust. "Hn! I don't do 'fear'..." Nonetheless, she stared at it for a few moments with narrowed eyes, holding silent. Fear... Her eyes narrowed further, before she nodded. Accept the fear. She placed the piece on the side, before finally clicking it into place. Accept the fear, in order to conquer it completely...

 

The other small pieces locked in around the one she placed in, leaving nothing but a small sliver left to fill. An odd shaped hole that would join those same three pieces from before. Feeling over the mostly completely puzzle however, she dropped it in shock, reeling back as she fell on the floor. Something different. The girl clutched her head, eyes wide as a rush of memories came to her. Something was happening...

 

Below, she watched as the window cleared to a scene that wasn't anywhere near where she stood now. "What is this," she hissed, looking below at the window that floated below her. Two people sitting at a table... Playing? "What the hell is this!" This vision... Light, sunny... A 'duel box', at least she was sure that was what it was called. The vision honed in further however, and the sunlight vanished. Within the cube there was nothing but haze and holographic fog, along with the monsters on the table. And to each side... She shook, glaring at the teen in the 'window' with wide eyes. " _WHAT IS THIS_?" Yugi, that was the boy's name right? She recognized him from her more... Dark memories.

 

However, she also recognized him from school, from that store... She frowned, gathering all she knew on the teen. Mutou Yugi... The one with two sides, the one who defeated her not once but twice. While the first was a joke, a battle that even she hadn't bothered to deal with properly, the second... She smirked at the memory despite all around her, eyes closing briefly. If she could fight him again... Just beat him properly...

 

Seto frowned again as she looked down through the window, looking closer at her would-be-rival. He had his head lowered in defeat. Something she wanted nothing more than to see just once, but not like this. She grit her teeth, biting back a growl. She would be the one to defeat him... And only her! She would reclaim the top as she had before, becoming the 'king' in his place... And this time, she would do it properly. Looking at the expression on Yugi's face, her eyes narrowed. Just what had him bearing such a disgusting face... What had him hanging his head in shame like a child, or a disciplined animal even? It was pathetic...

 

It disturbed her, and though she tried to convince herself that it was only because she wasn't on the other side of the table she felt as though there was something else. She looked across from him, towards the shadowed puppeteer who was covered by a hat. He held something... Something bathed completely in shadows that refused to reveal itself to her. What the man held however was the least of her concerns as she spotted the monster on his side of the field. She knew that monster... That monster was...

 

The girl snarled, nails digging into her head. "That... That is my dragon," she shouted, voice seemingly reaching no one. Her eyes grew wider than they had been before, face twisted with rage as she shook. "How dare they... How _DARE_ they!" Shaking with rage, she was thrown off focus by another wave of memories she had apparently not regained, the girl clutching her head again. "Gh... Hh..." She winced again as she studied the dragon below, attempting to figure out how it came to be there before crying in pain. The memories continued to flood her mind, forcing Seto to her knees as she gritted her teeth. What was this.. What was this?

 

High school classes passed her by, followed by tutor sessions, vocal lessons, 'Kaiba' replacing her name, games, Mokuba, the orphanage, her father, the crash, Christmas... All these memories, all these times that she already knew, passing her by until-

 

Seto froze as the memories grinded to a halt, stopping at one moment and one only. Mokuba's birth... Eyes staring off into space as she held her head, the girl stumbled slightly. The day her brother was born... And at the same moment she realized, unwanted tears developing yet again, this was the moment that... She... "...Okaa-san..."

 

She remembered her mother. She never knew her name of course... She was only 5 when she died after all but nonetheless, she could remember what she looked like on that operating table. Contractions came too early; she knew what those words meant now. She knew why it was that when they'd pulled Mokuba out from her mother's shivering form that she died. She remembered, with a horrified expression of now available knowledge, that the pale, cold woman she'd seen on the table wasn't asleep... Merely drained of most of her blood and long gone...

 

She remembered when she'd told Mokuba he had her eyes. She hadn't remembered their mother at that time, and she wasn't sure she was right... But she was. Somehow, she wasn't sure why, she was right. Beautiful, wide blue eyes that stared with nothing but kindness... Identical to her little brother's... But unlike Mokuba, the rest of the woman wasn't tanned with black hair, regardless of the resemblance between them otherwise. No... Their mother had been special. A slight defect in her genes had given her something else, something that was rarely ever seen. While her skin was of average, peach complexion, long, pure white hair cascaded down the woman's back... Giving the appearance of an angel... Or perhaps, she noted as the memories superimposed over her view of the duel table below, something else... "Mother..." She watched the image play in her mind, the woman standing there. Blue eyes, set on a pale face with white hair... She missed her...

 

She didn't want to say it out loud, didn't want anyone to know this weakness... But she missed her so much... She bit her lip, hands moving down from her head to pick up the puzzle she'd dropped. It had begun to 'sink' into the window below, and took a little more strength than usual to pull out. The girl stared at it sadly, the memory of that calm, smiling woman still blurring into her vision. The puzzle wasn't done... Seto looked down an image of the woman that essentially personified her dragons looking down at her with a calm and reassuring nod. It wasn't done, still missing that one piece but... Somehow, she knew that if nothing else happened, that piece would never come to her. That all of her work would be for naught, and she'd be trapped here indefinitely. Seto clutched the puzzle close, frowning. What if... She could take it with her..? If the piece was something she had to find, rather than wait for? She had a feeling...

 

That this time, while the window was there, she wasn't meant to pass it by. The 'voice' that had yelled and shouted for her to ignore the others... That voice that she'd ignored... It was gone, nonexistent. This time... With her puzzle in hand... What if... She clenched her jaw... And with the puzzle still clutched tight in her arms, jumped through the window below.

 

* * *

 

' _HOW DARE THEY!_ ' Yugi dismissed the ghostly voice, which barely hit his ears as a whisper. He lost... There was no hope for him now, and as he drew a card and played a monster on the field, he winced and waited for the end. Stop defense was still in play. The voice continued to ring through his ears, but the teen shook it off. He was probably hearing things anyways...

 

At this moment, nothing else could possibly make sense other than that. "Good," the puppet was saying with a cackle. "Good... You p-p-played your final card, yes?" As he merely waited for the blast, he found himself weakly glaring at the puppet that called itself 'Kaiba's Ghost'. A pathetic, horrific imitation that did no justice at all... And yet, where the original could not, it had managed to beat him. "WHAHAHAHA! THEN THIS IS THE END! Go Dragon, DESTROY YUGI!" Pathetic...

 

A horrific joke of god one could say even... He screwed his eyes shut, waiting for the familiar heat of the dragon's white flames... And then something remarkable happened. He frowned, feeling nothing as the same voice continued to whisper in his ears. Yugi opened his eyes, looking across the table only to stare with wide and confused eyes. It wasn't attacking. In fact, its mouth was clamped firmly shut, its head raised and turned to the side. The whispering voice returned, a faint, almost childlike chuckle echoing in his ears. And as he heard this, the dragon continued to stare at what was apparently an empty space in the room. What was this...

 

He looked at the spot, frowning as something began to shimmer into existence there. "What's wrong," the ventriloquist shouted, not bothering to use the puppet as he moved to stand. Wood clattered to the floor as the image became clearer, the old, gagged man apparently completely unaware of the sight that both Yugi and 'the dragon' were looking at just now. "Why isn't it attacking?!" He ignored the wrinkled ventriloquist, instead continuing to gape at the now complete image at the side. A...

 

A little girl... Wearing a yukata... His still wide eyes only grew larger as the girl gave a smile, her body glowing dimly as it began to 'age' and shift before him. The teen stared, silent as the dragon continued its silent vigil, before giving a small cry as the girl slowly became a 'woman'. Clothes changed... From a yukata to a pair of pants and a flowered shirt with hair that dropped past the shoulders. Then to a messily cut hairstyle he slightly recognized, coupled with a pair of boy's pants and a casual shirt.

 

Hold on... That face, he realized as the hair neatened out, the 'child' turning toward him. He knew this face...

 

The spirit continued to shift, growing taller as a white, militaristic outfit came to replace the clothes she'd held before. As this final change occurred she turned to him, finally looking down at the teen with a seemingly cold and uncaring expression. Yugi's eyes widened with shock, face frozen as the crystal clear image of Seto Kaiba appeared before him appearance identical to that of when 'he' had been at Death-T. He... Or if this 'spirit' wasn't a bad case of hallucination...

 

' _Hmph,_ ' Seto said, her voice clearly that of a woman- any doubts that Yugi held would just have to vanish for now really. ' _Using my dragons... No one does that and gets away with it..._ ' The voice as well shifted, becoming the one that he was far more familiar with as the dragon itself began to vanish into nothingness with a silent nod. '.. _Yugi,_ ' She continued with a frown, the teen swallowing in response as the commanding and deep tones of the CEO rang throughout the room for only him to hear. ' _You know what to do... I'm giving you permission only this once._ '

 

And then she was gone.

 

'Only this once,' she'd said... While destroying her own dragon...

 

Somehow, he knew just what she meant. "The dragon's vanishing," the ventriloquist was muttering, Yugi merely staring as the spirit as well did this. As Kaiba faded so did the dragon, and before long both of them were vanished from the room without a trace... As though neither had been there to begin with. "But why.." The puppet clattered to the ground, and the man shook his head. "NO!" Wood clacked across the floor as the old man stood, shaking his head. "NO!" Kaiba... A woman...

 

Who would have thought, he mentally whispered to himself. To think that of all people... In the back of his mind, he couldn't help but laugh as that conversation with Katsuya all those weeks before made sense now. 'She has the same kanji', he had said, when asked about a name that he likely had been unable to give for now obvious reasons. 'She's ice cold though'. Oh boy...

 

Ooooh boy... Either... Something had been in that fish they ate earlier or...

 

The teen shook his head and smirked, before it softened into a calm and relieved smile. No... Kaiba... Somehow, he knew just then, that the puzzle the woman was putting together... While perhaps not all done, there was no doubt.

 

Seto Kaiba had woken up.

 

* * *

 

Miles away a young woman took a shaky step out from the wheelchair she'd spent immeasurable

amounts of time in. The woman held her head and swayed as she stood, wincing slightly before staring out the window. "...I..."

 

She frowned, eyes narrowing. Arms moved down to her sides as she took in the partially dead yard, breath misting on the glass of the window. Strange... Though she clearly remembered losing to Yugi, something felt... Different. There were numb memories of voices in her mind, and as her eyes drifted to the side table by her bed, she frowned.

 

"What is this..." Her voice was of course the same, hoarse voice she had thanks to years of covering it with acting... And she certainly didn't see any other changes to herself. But why did she feel...

 

Different? There was a voice from one of her maids, the door opening before a gasp of shock resounded through the hall behind her. Dishes clattered to the ground as the woman ran out of the halls, her voice numbly reaching Seto's ears. "Oh my," she had said, shaking. "Seto-sama..-!" Footsteps sounded through the house, Seto ignoring them as she continued to stare at the table. "Seto-sama is awake!" Yes she was awake...

 

But why did it still feel like something was missing..? She walked over to the table, idly picking up what looked to be a Blue-Eyes figurine from it. Hn... Not bad... Her thoughts turned back to her apparent sleep, the woman frowning. She'd been at KaibaLand last she remembered. Facing Yugi in a game of Duel Monsters. Yugi...

 

He'd done something... That much was obvious given that it was clearly late fall rather than late spring as it had been before. Not to mention she'd woken up here, in her home... In a wheel chair. But that wasn't what was bugging her now... Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the things on the table, still holding the dragon in his hand. The door creaked open as she heard someone step in, and she continued frowning. "Who put those there," she said hoarsely, her voice having been out of use for far too long to simply pull her disguise in play. The woman turned to level a stare at the maid who had come in, the woman bowing her head slightly.

 

There was a bit of silence, before the nervous maid answered. She was young... This was one of her 'rare' hires, where the person had come not because they figured serving a billionaire would earn more money but because they needed a job. Now what was her name... Kyoko? Kyouko... Ah. Seto's eyes remained in the partially narrowed stare they were at as the maid before her answered, the woman wringing her hands from the nerves. "I... Jonouchi-kun did, Seto-sama..." She coughed, before bowing her head again and continuing. "H-He and Mokuba-sama believed you would want them there... He was assigned your security during your time out of the hospital O-Ojou ...O-Obochama..." Hn! She'd almost slipped, hadn't she. Nonetheless...

 

There was no response. Jonouchi... She turned, frowning as she replaced the dragon on the table. So many pictures on the table... Most had her brother in them. Idly she noted that the boy had placed, for some reason, a picture of him with the very people she preferred to avoid there. And the blond in the photo... "Where's Mokuba?" she said bluntly, ignoring the numb feeling of emptiness she still had. She could question his identity later- if she was right, it'd been at least half a year since she'd faced Yugi in Duel Monsters, and she wanted to see her brother. There was nervous silence from the maid, and her eyes narrowed as the CEO turned back on her employee. "Did you hear me?" she spat out, fists clenched. The calendar on the wall said 'Saturday'; there was no school, no events that would mean her brother was out of the house, and the maid before her would either know the location or know someone who did. "I said, where is my BROTHER?"

 

"W-Well," the maid said nervously, gulping audibly. "About that..." The woman coughed, shaking on the spot as she lowered her head. "Fo-Forgive me, Seto-sama... But at the moment, Mokuba-sama is... M...Missing.."

 

She didn't care if she couldn't remember who this 'Jonouchi Katsuya' was, Seto decided as her eyes widened. "WHAT..." Her eyes quickly narrowed again, and she charged past the wheelchair towards her closet. "Explain everything now," she snarled, grabbing her clothes and moving to her washroom. As far as she knew, this unknown person was dead to her (Though she got an odd feeling of dread with that thought...), and it mattered not who or where he was. But if her brother was missing... "And be quick!" Missing, she had said...

 

Kyouko nodded, following after Seto with an audible gasp of nervousness. "Y-Yes... Jonouchi-kun claimed he had a clue as to the boy's location," she began, attempting to keep her voice professional rather than stuttering. "H-He mentioned someone named Pegasus... I... I think you know-" She was cut off as a set of pajamas flew past the door, Seto still scowling as the maid watched her wrap a roll of binding around her chest in record time. "S-Seto-sama..?"

 

"You're dismissed," the woman forced through gritted teeth, the maid bowing quickly. "Gather the rest of the staff in the foyer," she added as the maid left the room. No one messed with her brother... No one... She might not have treated him well in the past...

 

But now that she was awake and there to change things... Seto's jaw tightened as she pulled on her clothes, simple shirt and pants being added on with a long and flowing coat. No time... No time, she told herself, grabbing her briefcase from the side of the bed and charging out the room. She didn't know how, but the amount of time she would have to get to her brother was slim. And Pegasus... No doubt that whoever this 'Jonouchi' was, he wouldn't be able to find Pegasus' private island. It wasn't marked on a map after all, and she only knew it's location from a previous visit. No time...

 

There was no time to save her brother, no time to hold him close as she should have all those times before... But she would make up for that now, she told herself as she stormed through the hall. Even if she died trying, she would get him back and safe at home. After all... She'd promised at least that much to him, hadn't she?

 

* * *

 

Back on the island and outside the Duel Box, the reaction to Blue-Eye's unannounced and unreasoned disappearance was almost unanimous.

 

"YEEEEAH!" There was a resounding shout from the others, fists and cheers thrown into the air. For his part however Katsuya seemed very much unlike himself as he stared through the glass of the duel-box in confusion. Ordinarily... He'd have gone with his beliefs on the card doing that, it having its own will. He'd be shouting loudly with the others, cheering; because hell, he was more than happy about the fact that it had done that! But he could have sworn, that for an instant...

 

To the side of the table, just across from him...

 

"YOU GO YUGI," Mokuba shouted from behind them, grinning. The shouts pulled Katsuya from his thoughts, and he joined in with his own cheers as Mokuba still shouted loudly. "YOU SHOW HIM!"

Saruwatari in the meantime balked, eyes wide as he managed to keep his hold on the boy.

 

"What..." He shook his head, gritting his teeth. "There must have been a bug in the battle box... It must have..." Hahaha... Bullshit.

 

Mokuba grinned, still loudly proclaiming his excitement over the matter. "Dumb ass," he shouted as he looked up at his former guard, grin growing. While there wasn't much else to describe the reasoning behind what had happened, he had an idea. Spending all this time with Yugi and Katsuya's friends tended to have that effect. "KaibaCorp's duel-box wouldn't go on the fritz like that so easily!" He turned his attention back to the box, eyes narrowed with mirth. "Heheheh! My nii-sama's cards aren't going to listen to that guy! It serves you right! YUGI," he called out, managing to cup his hands to his face from the awkward position he was held in. "BEAT THE CRAP OUTTA THAT VENTRILOQUIST!"

 

"What he said Yugi," Katsuya added with a shout, ignoring Anzu's warning words of ' _remember that there are childre-_ ' "YOU SLAUGHTER THIS ASSHOLE!"

 

"WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT SWEARING IN FRONT OF KIDS!" He rolled his eyes as Anzu glared at him, instead focusing on what was inside the box for the next few moments. Inside there was a nod from his friend as Yugi turned back to his opponent. The second dragon was gone, and there was only one more... But they had a clear shot at the ventriloquist now. Time to continue the game!

 

* * *

 

700 points... As he looked over his hand, blinking, he idly wished that Blue-Eyes' disappearance had happened during the battle phase rather than before. But the fact was that either way still gave him a clear shot at winning this match. 700 points...

 

That was the number of lifepoints his opponent had at the moment, and that was the number he would need to blast through. Yugi stared forwards, now certain that he could win this battle. "It's your move," he said calmly, pointing to the field. "If I were you, I'd summon a monster."

 

The ventriloquist nodded, eyes narrowed. "Hn... I summon Grapplar in defense position..." Of course it was defense... And really, it figured. He was probably going to summon defense monsters until he drew Blue Eyes, regardless of whether or not he drew a monster more powerful than his own.

 

"My turn then," the teen muttered, grabbing a card. Stop Defense was still in play... So anything he placed would be forced into attack mode. If the third Blue Eyes was drawn, it was likely he was finished... But with this card, he thought with narrowed eyes. With this card, he had a chance.

 

"I set one card face down," he said calmly, before placing yet another on the field. "And I summon the Elf Swordsman in Attack Position! Now, attack Grapplar!" The elf charged forwards, slicing Grapplar cleanly in two with his blade before shouldering the weapon and returning to his side of the field. "Grapplar has been killed!" And of course his life points...

 

The ventriloquist merely chuckled, leering at the teen as they remained as is. "Fu fu fu... My life points still won't go down," he said with a hidden smirk, chuckling. "My turn!" He drew a card, visibly narrowing his eyes before making his move. "I set a monster in defense position," he began, before removing the card from his hand, "And then I set one card face down." Tch... He set another card...

 

A magic card or a trap... Deciding not to worry about it too much, he instead pulled another card from his deck to go on with his turn. "I'll set another face down card as well," he decided after looking over his hand. Grabbing another card and playing it on the field, he turned his attention back from the table to his opponent once more. "And I summon the Holy Elf!" The woman appeared on the table, head bowed with her hands folded in front of her as she began to chant. Low, almost musical muttering filled the room, and somehow it put him at a little more ease than before. The duel was getting tense... The air was thick, and the pressures were high... But no matter what, he wouldn't lose.

 

"My turn," the ventriloquist muttered, before grinning as he drew a card. Tch... He knew what that meant... "I drew the Blue Eyes White Dragon," the man cackled, said dragon appearing on the table with a roar and a burst of light. Damn it... Well, here went his plan. "Attack the holy elf," the ventriloquist continued, still cackling madly. "Burst stream of destruction!" Crazed laughter continued to fill the room, the teen across from him merely crossing his arms with narrowed eyes in response. "THIS IS THE END!" The end was it?

 

He smirked, listening as the elf continued her chanting. Well... Not quite. Yugi flipped over one of his two cards, the smirk still in place. He had a feeling that would happen after all... And with this, the other dragon would be destroyed! "Activate trap," he shouted, a large dome of light appearing around his elf. "Sacred Barrier, Mirror Force! The barrier will reflect the attack," he added, watching as the white lightening struck the shield only to be bounced back towards the dragon. However, that was only the beginning it seemed; Yugi frowned as his opponent also flipped a card over, watching as the ventriloquist continued to chuckle. Tch... It figured it would be a trap.

 

"Trap card activate," he said with a grin. "Attack Nullification! The attack aiming for Blue Eyes is negated!" The lightening was sucked into an aperture like hole, before vanishing from existence. Tch... As expected, he saw through it... "Fu fu fu... Your trump card was wasted in vain," the ventriloquist said with a smirk, beginning to cackle again. "I've already made you use up your best strategies!" As shouts continued from the outside, Yugi merely smirked. Best strategies? Please... He had much more where that came from. "Come Yugi," the man said with a laugh, "It's your last turn, and you're still out of options..." The smirk grew, and he moved his hand towards the set card on the field. Now that the traps set before were out of the way, his path was clear...

 

"Really," he began, the smirk growing. "I still have my trump card," the teen added, relishing in the fear and horror that was now washing off of his opponent. "I activate the card 'Dead One's Revival!" As though reading the ventriloquist's mind, the old man's eyes widening, he continued to grin. 'Only this once'... That was what Kaiba had said, and he would respect his... Rather 'her' wishes. "You're wrong," he shouted, eyes narrowed rather cruelly. To think this scum would still consider stolen property his... Tch! "It's not your card I want to resurrect... It's Kaiba's card!" The Blue Eyes White Dragon from before roared behind him as it appeared, the two dragons hissing as they stared each other down. At the moment their attacks were equal of course but... He smirked as the Ventriloquist continued to pale, gesturing to his second monster. "No... I won't attack now... Not until she's finished..." At the ventriloquist's pale stare, he continued. "Ever since she came into play, the Holy Elf has been chanting a spell... A support spell, combining her attack with any monster on the field! PREPARE YOURSELF ," he shouted, as the Blue-Eyes' attack jumped to 3800. The elf's chants quieted, the table filling with silence as Yugi pointed the dragon forward. "THIS IS KAIBA'S RAGE! Here I come..." The dragon reared its head, charging its attack before blasting down on both the one on his opponent's side and on the last life points of the opponent. "HOLY BURST STREAM!"

 

Fires leapt at the ventriloquist before swirling into nonexistence, the cards blowing from the table in the force. "E-EYAAAAAA!" The ventriloquist tensed, jerking back in his chair as he lost. "Hih... Hih... I... I lost... I..."

 

Yugi stood, a wave of anger washing over him once more. He felt a rush of 'power' flow through him, and as a sourceless wind rushed around him, he looked down at the man with disgust. "Bastard... _Scum_... Don't think that it's over with just that," he stated, voice echoing throughout the room with a commanding and frightening tone. "My rage hasn't been satisfied just yet!" As the ventriloquist looked up in horror he continued to stare, eyes wide with a murderous emotion that he hadn't felt since possibly the first time he'd come to his 'other self's defense. "You stole Kaiba's cards, fooled around with a worthless puppet and called it he- His 'heart'... And for that," he roared, not caring that the others were watching him now, "I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!" He pointed forwards, the 'wind gusting forwards as he shouted. This was it. " _ **PENALTY GAME-!**_ "

 

From the puppet below came an apparent copy of the ventriloquist himself, silently clacking upwards as it moved from its own will. It clambered up onto the man's lap, reaching out towards the shaking puppeteer's face before widening its mouth in a scream mimicking that of it's 'original'. A mirror image...

 

As the ventriloquists screams filled the room, the man attempting to flee that which was only visible to him, Yugi smirked. "Hn hn hn..." Chuckling, he moved to gather his cards as the smirk grew. "Stay in that illusion with that 'cute doll' of yours..." Grabbing Kaiba's deck and placing the star-chips on his wrist, he thought back to what had effectively turned the battle around. Kaiba...

 

That appearance... The spirit that appeared on the side to give him that message... It couldn't have been a hallucination. That was definitely a woman that had appeared, no doubt about it but... What did that mean exactly, if Kaiba actively hid such a thing? Turning to leave the box, he sighed. He would just have to find out he supposed. After all, both he and his partner had their own methods to go about these things, and it wasn't like they didn't have time. They'd simply have to pray that it wasn't anything too life-threatening really...

 

* * *

 

As Yugi had finished the battle off, Katsuya and the group had in fact not been watching the teen inflict the penalty game as Yugi had assumed. Much as they'd have loved to, there was something a little more important going on. To be specific, they'd been distracted by the argument Saruwatari and the blond were having at that moment, all firearms ignored.

 

"Let 'm go 'Saru'," he shouted, the teen deciding to just go with calling him an ape. Besides, 'Saruwatari' was too long for the moment in his opinion. "You an' I both know that Pegasus is gonna want 'm alive, so LET HIM GO!" Please don't know about the key being fake, please please please...

 

The 'suit' scoffed, moving farther backwards as he continued to hold the gun against Mokuba's head. "And are you willing to take that risk," he asked the blond, smirking. As Katsuya clenched his fists, Saruwatari continued to smirk, before laughing wickedly. "Face it Jonouchi! Even with the same combat training, which, might I add, I offered to teach, this is a situation you just can't win!" Damn it... As the others stood feeling considerably confused, Mokuba gave him a desperate look. Did he want him to stop..? Or did he want him to get him out of here? It was hard to tell, but no matter what...

 

"Tch... Just let 'm go already!" He froze as there was a click sound, and slowly turned as another hired suit came over. "Gh..." This gun wasn't held at Mokuba...

 

It was aimed at Bakura's back, the teen having been the furthest away. Laughter filled the area, and Saruwatari's smirk grew. "Good... My backup is here." As Bakura grew slightly more pale than what should have been humanly possible, he addressed the entire group. "Don't move, either one of you... Or it could cost your friends their lives!" The teens fell silent, and Katsuya grit his teeth in frustration. No... He was right there! Damn it..!

 

Mokuba continued to struggle against his hold, before finally addressing Katsuya as he was dragged off. Nothing else to do... There was nothing else..! "Katsuya-nii! Whatever you do, make sure Yugi wins!" His eyes widened, and Mokuba continued to fight fruitlessly against Saruwatari's arm as he was pulled away. "No matter what!" The blond watched, eyes wide as the boy vanished into the foliage. "PROMISE!" He...

 

He would... The other 'suit' laughed, safety of his gun clicking off as he as well backed away. Now, the gun could easily be turned on either one of them before there was a chance at disarming him. Shit...

 

"Now then," he said. "I want you all to turn around and count to thirty..." The gun was aimed rather carefully at the group, and they slowly did so, hands raised. Backs turned to the man, Katsuya swallowed nervously as the numbers mentally came through his mind. "Count nice and slow..." Damn it... "One... Two..." Damn it! He was right there, right there... Who knew what they were going to do to Mokuba now, when it was so clear to Pegasus that the key wasn't there! "Five... Six..."

 

Numbers faded out in sound, and before he knew it there was a click from the door as Yugi came out. And not a single sound from the other 'hired help'. He looked around, frowning as he took in a relatively empty section of field. Tch... The other guy had left as well then. Which meant that they were good as gone now.

 

Nonetheless, he turned back to Yugi, paying no particular attention to the ventriloquist whimpering in the corner of the box. Quite frankly he could care less about the 'penalty games' right now. And really, good on Yugi for doing it. The others were currently congratulating Yugi on his win, the teen holding a second deck of cards in his hand. He got his star chips back, Kaiba's cards were ready to return to their rightful owner. Yugi frowned however as he looked around at everyone, noticing rather quickly that there was someone missing. "...Where's Mokuba?" Katsuya clenched his fists, the others shifted awkwardly as he stared at the ground.

 

"That bastard Saruwatari..." He swallowed, eyes narrowed as he thought about the first thing he'd do once he was in Pegasus' castle. "One of his buddies arrived with another gun, forcing us to turn our backs..." He gritted his teeth, turning to look at Yugi in an attempt to calm down. "Dragged Mokuba off and I couldn't do a damn thing!"

 

As the others fell silent in response to that, Yugi stared off into the direction that Saruwatari had apparently disappeared into. His expression seemed slightly distant, even with the narrowed, well recognized look of utter vengeful determination on his face. It looked as though he had wanted to say something but...

 

In light of recent events... It also looked like he believed it could wait.

 

* * *

 

As requested, everyone was gathered along the sides of the foyer, watching as their employer stormed down the stairs with clear rage across her face.

 

"MORONS," she shouted, storming through the halls to the main entrance. The group merely bowed their heads, saying nothing as the woman continued with her disguised voice. "ALL OF YOU !" As her so-called security bowed in apology her maid chased after, a worried expression on her face. It looked as though Kyouko was carrying something but really... She could care less right now. "I can't believe you bastards let Mokuba get taken away while I was gone!"

 

The people merely stood there, staring at the ground. "Yes... Terribly sorry..."

 

"We're all terribly sorry Seto-sama..."

 

Same thing over and over and over... Behind her, the maid finally caught up, voice clearly panicked. "O-Obochama! Where are you going," she cried, Seto not even bothering to turn. "You can't go, your body isn't-"

 

She snorted, having already made plans within the first few minutes of discovering her brother was gone. Amid all this, her servants were still attempting to get by with simply 'terribly sorry', 'so very sorry'...

 

Really... Just... "Oh just SHUT UP," she finally shouted as she turned, the employees falling silent. Kyouko in the meantime visibly cringed, shrinking back before continuing anyways. Honestly, what was it that couldn't wait just a damn moment...

 

"Obochama! PLEASE," she shouted, running forwards with a folder held tightly against her chest. "I swore to Mokuba-sama that I would-" Seto turned to her, eyes narrowed as the woman stopped in place. Swore what... She watched as the maid swallowed nervously, before handing the file over. Now what was this... "I... I promised him... 'If Seto-sama were to wake up', I was told, give this to him! Please, take it..!"

 

Seto took the file, eyes still narrowing as she turned back, opening the door with a scowl. "I see... Maybe you can do this next task as well then," she began, still frowning. "Unlike the rest of these morons..." As the maid stood silently on the spot, Seto continued, stepping through the doorway. "Bring me my helicopter," she called through grit teeth. "I'm flying to Pegasus' Island!"

 

Only a few minutes later there was a roar of spinning blades and they were off, taking to the skies as directions to the island were given to the pilot. A quick take off... Perhaps she should give that maid a raise. Seto looked out of the window, eyes narrowing as she thought about what she might find on that island. Mokuba... She pulled the pendant from around her neck, thinking back to the things on her side table. She'd noticed this fairly quickly of course, finding it around her neck as she changed. But she hadn't really looked at it until now...

 

Staring at the image of Mokuba from those long past years, her usually hard gaze softened. How long had she been 'sleeping', she wondered as the pendant was closed over with a 'click'. How long...

 

The memories she had seemed faded, like a half remembered dream... Seto stared at the window, mentally going over what had been there. For some reason with each item there she could recall a message... A small conversation from her brother's side that she had been unable to answer to. A dragon mask... She could remember Mokuba talking about going to a festival with that same 'Katsuya Jonouchi'. A figurine... Again, Mokuba had spoken of this 'Jonouchi', claiming that he had sacrificed himself to join him in a game of sorts... And somehow, according to her brother she had...

 

Saved them somehow? Seto held back a snort at that, instead giving a sarcastic smirk as she stared out the window. Yeah... That was bullshit right there really. The woman's eyes narrowed as she continued to think, recalling each item that had been there. The dragon sculpture, a CapMon figurine (From Mokuba no doubt)... Briefly her thoughts drew back to the figurine she saw, the woman frowning as she recalled its appearance. Whoever made it was dead, creating such a thing in her image without her knowing... What was it, some sort of role-play toy? Honestly...

 

Nonetheless she felt some sort of attachment to it, along with everything else on that table. Like the pictures... Documenting the time since she'd been asleep, her brother had continued to fill her in on his day, without fail when he was there. But why... She grit her teeth, a frown appearing even as she sat in thought. Why couldn't she remember who this blond idiot that they called 'Jonouchi' was? Those pictures... 'The' picture that connected the name to the face really, it showed a summer evening. Her brother was dressed in a yukata that she didn't even know the boy had, grinning widely as he sat underneath a night sky. Beside him was a young woman, probably 13 or 14, an older woman who was likely the girl's mother, and lastly...

 

That blond... The one who seemed to have been hovering over Mokuba with a sense security, protection...

 

While she felt a pang of jealousy almost, having not been the one to spend this time with her brother, she also had to feel relieved. Whoever he was after all, he'd obviously kept the boy sane while she slept. This did nothing for her mood however. Seto clenched her fists, still frowning. 'Jonouchi Katsuya', who had supposedly gone off to find her brother as she was doing now. And where was he now? _WHO_ was he?

 

It disturbed her, that after waking up there was still a hole in her memory, a hole she felt shouldn't have been there at all... As though a small part of her had been taken as payment to wake up from whatever it is she'd been in. Tch... Tightening her grip on her briefcase, she pushed it from her mind. Whatever... She wouldn't let this bug her. She didn't let anything bug her, she couldn't. For her brother's sake, she couldn't let anything like that happen again... Not now that she had a clear mind.

 

She had something to protect; and she would damn well do just that, no matter what the costs.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Obochama' is a respectful term typically used from maids and similar toward young male members of the family they serve. 'Ojou-sama' is the counterpart to this.


	5. The One Who Came With The Night

 

The 'trip' back to the castle was anything but fun, he decided fairly quickly. Saruwatari had not appreciated the fact that Yugi won at all, and given the condition of his neck right now that was more than apparent. He realized all to quickly that the room they were taking him to was not the same tower that he'd been in before. Instead they moved down, down, down, into the depths of a dank torch-lit hall with a pounded dirt floor. The boy watched as a cell door was opened, before he was roughly tossed to the other end.

 

"Gn!" Mokuba grunted as he fell to the ground of a basement cell, pulling himself up slowly with a cough. Ow... Ow... In addition to the bruises from earlier this was... He frowned as he heard a 'clink' noise, turning to find that there was now a chain around one of his wrists. They... They'd locked him in a dungeon cell! "Gh... You... Let me out! Right now!" Saruwatari merely smirked, shaking his head. Now that the chain and cuff was attached, he moved back from the boy to watch as Mokuba fruitlessly tugged at the chain.

 

"And why would I do that," he 'asked', arms crossed as footsteps echoed down the hall. It was dark in this place... So dark... The sun had already begun to set, and through the barred window above him there was nothing but a dull ray of light that illuminated nothing. All he could see was a dull gleam of light against Saruwatari's sunglasses, and along the bars of the cell door behind the man. "It took me ages to find you after all, and thanks to that mess with your 'friends'," the man added with a sneer. He shook his head mockingly as he cut off, before continuing. "Tsk tsk tsk... After all that Pegasus did for you, looking after you even when you refused to give up the information we needed..." Did for him? He locked him in a tower room with nothing but a bed and his belongings! He kidnapped him from his own house, searched the entire place...

 

As Mokuba merely smirked darkly in response to that (After all, it would be impossible to get the information from him), a voice came from out of the cell. A voice that caused a shiver to run violently down his spine, a familiar shadow appearing on the floor as the steps grew louder. "That's enough I think," said the chillingly familiar voice. "You're dismissed, Saruwatari..." The suit nodded, moving to the side as his employer stepped in. "I want to speak to dear Mokuba-boy in person..." H-Hihhhh...

 

The suit left, and Mokuba drew back as the red suited CEO of I2 walked in. Pegasus waited silently, arms behind his back until the footsteps echoed down the hall and out of existence. The boy swallowed nervously, tensing as the man drew back his hair to reveal a golden eye before stepping forwards. That eye... The others had called it the 'Millennium Eye'. He'd looked at him with it on his arrival to the island, stared at him and somehow known everything! And it gave him the chills, even before the man actually spoke. Staring at nothing, a dull shine passing over it. Nonetheless as he remembered why he was there he managed to muster up at least a fraction of courage for the moment. After all... He stood between the company and Pegasus didn't he? So long as Pegasus focused on him...

 

"Gh... Why do you need to talk," he bit out with a snarl. "You can read minds can't you?" That's what Anzu had said at least... Along with everyone else. And apparently, he was right about that.

 

Pegasus chuckled, shaking his head with a mock sigh. "Dear dear me! You mustn't think of such things," he 'whined', bringing a hand to his head rather dramatically. This man was not setting a good image for Americans at all... "It would be rude if I just pried through your head and left after all... Really..." His eye narrowed, and he looked down at the small boy before him. The man's expression shifted from the look of mock despair to a fairly frightening smile, and Mokuba shivered in response. "But I have to say... Why is it that once you were found by Saruwatari you gave in so easily... You could have attempted to run, or even have your canine-security defend you..." The boy continued to press himself against the wall as Pegasus stared down. He stared at the ground, refusing to make eye contact with the man lest his thoughts be pulled from his mind. He couldn't let anything out...

 

He couldn't reveal anything, even think of anything... "W-Why would you care," he asked nervously, head turned deliberately away from the man. "I... I have your precious key after all! So you should be happy I'm here!"

 

"Yes... I was wondering about that," he said, stooping down and roughly grabbing Mokuba's chin. Ignoring the grunt of pain he received in response, he jerked the boy's head up and towards him. And still, Pegasus noted with a cruel smile, the boy was attempting and failing to avert his gaze, only to finally lock on to the Millennium Eye. It had that effect... Drawing the attention of all who were near, leaving their minds as easy prey... "When I looked into your thoughts, it appeared you weren't lying about the 'key'... After all," he stated, eye narrowed slightly, "All you had to do was admit to swallowing 'a key'... But it occurred to me, my dear Mokuba-boy, that I never asked which key..." The smile grew dark, his eye narrowing further. That look... It wasn't good... "Now why don't you tell me again, exactly what key it was you were given..?"

 

He swallowed, squeezing his eyes shut. He couldn't tell him. He couldn't think about it, not about the key, not about the replica that was long-since dissolved... Not about the key Katsuya had, not about his nee-sama's secrets, about- He froze as chuckling came from the man holding his face, and his breath hitched. _Nee-sama_... No... He'd let the thoughts run through his head... Even though he'd been so sure he could hold them off... The man's smile grew as he dropped Mokuba's head, pulling something from his pocket.

 

As the boy below slowly looked upwards in horror, Pegasus chuckled just lightly. "Such an interesting mind you have Mokuba-boy," he said with a laugh. So very, very interesting, the thoughts that ran through the panicked mind... "Don't worry... I already knew that you didn't have the key... I just thought I'd check." He held a card out, still smiling as he looked over the blank canvas it depicted. "But my, my! To think that Kaiba-boy was... Well," he said as the boy's eyes widened in response, thoughts supporting his suspicions. "I suppose that 'boy' would be... inaccurate... now wouldn't it..."

 

"Y-You..." As Pegasus continued to chuckle, Mokuba grit his teeth, lunging at the man. The chain clanked angrily against the wall, and Mokuba struggled as he attempted to throw a fairly terrible punch. "YOU BASTARD! BASTAAAAAARD!" As the man raised an eyebrow at language he'd likely picked up from Katsuya, he continued shouting, eyes filled with rage. These were his thoughts... His secrets, and the secrets others had trusted with him..! He had no right... No right..! "GET OUT OF MY HEAD! GET OUT! YOU... YOU DON'T HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW THAT! ONLY NEE-SAMA, ONLY KATSUYA-NII-" He chocked, still struggling against his restraints as he looked forwards. How dare he... How dare he...

 

Pegasus merely smiled as he stepped back, the chain holding Mokuba in place as he laughed. "So close to your employee's Mokuba-boy... You shouldn't think those things..." His eye narrowed with cruel mirth, and he continued. "You don't know what sorts of things could happen as a result..." Didn't know... He knew what could happen, but his thoughts weren't normally available for broadcast! The boy merely growled, tugging fruitlessly at his chain as he reached forwards with his free arm. Just... If he could just do something, anything..!

 

"HGGGN! You stay away from them! You can't touch them," he shouted, eyes narrowed as the man before him merely held that same card with a frightening smile. "S-STAY AWAY!" As he continued to struggle, he suddenly found himself growing abnormally cold, eyes going wide as the sensation of immense weight passed over his body. "Hng..!" He stopped struggling, taking a few steps back as he slowly looked up at Pegasus with wide and terrified eyes. This feeling was increasing... He was having trouble moving, and it felt as though he'd finished running for days on end. "What... What is this..."

 

Chuckling continued to fill the room, and Pegasus held a card out for him to hold, dropping it on the ground. It landed face down... His vision swam, and he blinked in a failed attempt to clear his blurred sight. A card... He didn't want to see what it was, and yet... Hesitantly Mokuba moved forwards, slowly picking it up and flipping it over to look at it's image. 'Soul Prison', it said, with faded katakana slowly appearing on the bottom. He squinted at it, watching as an outlined image of a person slowly faded into it. He felt weak... Dizzy...

 

The boy groaned as he held his head, biting his lip. "What are you doing," he forced out, falling to his knees as his hand refused to drop the card. "Why... Why are you..."

 

"Shhhhh..." Pegasus' golden eye gleamed in what little light filled the room, the captive below watching with dulled vision as the man gave him a frightening smile. "I don't plan on doing anything more than this, Mokuba-boy... Just sleep... Sleep," he said, the boy below attempting to do just the opposite. "It's all you need to do..." Such a calm voice... Smooth and convincing, but he couldn't listen... If he listened, who knew what would happen, who knew what would await him..!

 

Frightened eyes dully made their way to the hand holding the card, unable to widen as colours began to appear on it. The hand shook slightly as he collapsed forwards, falling to his side to stare at the image. Black hair... White shirt... Blue eyes... He gave a shiver as the image slowly began to clear, practically crying for his body to just hold on, to just hang in there. This person... This face appearing on the card... It was... He couldn't... He couldn't give in to this, it had to be a trick, a hallucination, anything but this... He wanted to see his big sister again, to see Katsuya again, to see everyone...

 

Sleep, whispered a voice somewhere as he shook. Who was that... Who was speaking... Just sleep... Sleeep... As he closed his eyes, finally giving in, the card slipped slightly in his hand. Pegasus chuckled as the boy finally caved, image on the card now complete. It was the first time he'd tried to only gradually seal a soul... An interesting result, he had wondered what sort of effect on the body it would have. The man leaned over, grabbing the card still tightly clutched in Mokuba's hand before looking over the image of the frightened and trapped young boy with a cruel smile. The boy's hands gripped the bars of his prison, eyes wide and fearful as his expression locked in a silent cry of terror.

 

"Good... You listened... Things go so much better when you do after all, and I do hope you don't mind these... Terrible living conditions," Pegasus muttered as he turned from the soulless body on the ground. "But I'm afraid you've given me no choice," he said with a sigh, moving to leave the cell without even bothering to shut the gate behind him. "After all... Souls can't run, can they Mokuba-boy..? So it's not as though you'll be any trouble for me now..." There was no answer, save for a slight shiver on the image of the card as it was placed into the depths of a breast pocket.

 

Cards couldn't scream after all.

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile in the woods of the island, Katsuya and the others were searching rather fruitlessly for Mokuba. "It's no use," Honda shouted loudly as they leaned against a cluster of trees. They'd stopped going after duels the moment they realized Mokuba was gone, but for all the time they'd spent looking they were having no luck whatsoever. "That kid isn't anywhere!" Yeah no shit Honda, Katsuya thought as he clenched his fists. No shit...

 

Damn it... It was nine hours into the first day now- for the past few hours, they'd been searching high and low for Saruwatari's hide, but to no avail. At the moment, all they'd succeeded in doing was souring the mood further and exhausting themselves. "Tch... Mokuba was probably taken t' Pegasus' castle," Katsuya growled, spitting at the ground as he collapsed. "F'r us to have an incentive t' go in an' get him back..."

 

Yugi nodded, looking over at the distant building in question. "We can't get into Pegasus' castle unless we have 10 starchips," he began, frowning. It made sense now that he thought about it; the door to the castle was literally locked with a dial meant for ten chips. Without the chips, it was effectively a fortress. And since Mokuba had still been carrying all the chips he stole...

 

Another nod from Katsuya, the blond moving from the side of the tree with a determined expression. "Right!" Ten starchips... They got a hold of those, and they'd be set to 'storm the gates' so to speak. He frowned however, as he turned to look down at his wrist. Ten chips... That was all easy for Yugi to say... He had 6, only four more and the guy would be there. As for himself... Well... Shit, he only had two! He'd only dueled once the entire time and the sun was already setting! Damn it damn it damn it...

 

Alright! He clenched his fist, the decision being made. "Time t' find me an opponent..." As the others shrugged, standing up to follow him as he stalked off, he cracked his knuckles. Time to get moving! This was apparently much easier said than done however...

 

As an hour later, he still had two star chips. He'd probably asked at least half the island to face him, and...

 

He still had... Two star chips... "Hey you," he shouted, grinning as he found another duelist. Maybe this guy would fight him! Just about everyone else had flat out bolted for some reason... "You wanna duel me?" The boy turned for a moment, blinking. "Duel? S-" He tensed, growing pale as he looked at the group. "T-That's... Mutou Yugi behind you... Isn't it?" As a matter of fact, yes it was... And he had better not be staring from behind h- Damn it. The boy shook his head, laughing nervously. "N-No thanks... Yugi would just wipe the floor with me after!" No.. No he wouldn't... Because he wouldn't be fighting! Daaaaaaamn it...

 

As the boy ran off, Katsuya groaned. "Auuuuugh... Man that's th' fourth one!" He rubbed his face, sighing as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Shit... Isn' there any other way I mean... Hell, every time they spot Yug' they run off... No will-power at all..." Just what kind of tournament was this if no one was fighting them? Rigged maybe..? Or... Something..?

 

(Did Yugi's 'loss' count if they just didn't manage 10 chips before someone else did? Because if everyone was running...) Bakura laughed lightly from behind, shaking his head. "I think they see Jonouchi-kun as a tough enemy... Since he's hanging around Yugi-kun..." Oh? Hey, that wasn't bad- wait, was he implying that he wasn't good at all? Was he..?

 

Beside him, Honda nodded before sighing. "They probably feel his aura of RAGE..." Rage?

 

Katsuya's response did nothing to help the image in any way, his face going rather red. "NHHHH! IT'S NOT MY FAULT," he bit out with a growl, crossing his arms. Honestly..! He wouldn't feel so pissed if Pegasus wasn't being such an ass about everything going on! As he turned to continue searching for an opponent, about to say something to Yugi, he was interrupted by a familiar laughing voice. The group froze, and he mentally groaned. Ohhhhh shit not her...

 

He turned, wincing as Mai appeared with a smirk. "We meet again, Jonouchi!" Wait, so... She was stalking him now? And what was she even doing here? She smirked, crossing her arms. "You look the same as ever... A bunch of kids klutzing around..." The woman chuckled, shaking her head as the others continued to sputter at her insults. "What, did you all turn into ducks?"

 

A what! Katsuya seethed, reeling back at the comment. "D-Ducks! What the-" Scowling, he made to respond to that only to freeze as he caught sight of the woman's wrist. Hang on, she had eight star chips... That was four times more than he had, damn it... He bit his tongue as he went over the difference in chips, watching as the woman turned to Yugi.

 

"Yugi... Doesn't it annoy you," she said in her sickeningly sweet tone, crossing her arms as she sighed. "Every time you're 'alone', they're just following you around..." Wait, what was with that comment? Just following around, well what did she think, that they'd just abandon him? Or... That he'd abandon them? Seriously, what the hell was she doing.. He tensed as the woman abruptly turned to point at him, shouting. "JONOUCHI!" Wah! What what? What, she was turning on him now! Stop switching! "Last time you got flowers and sparkles, but this time my manservant will beat you!" Flowers and sparkles? If that was flowers and sparkles, he'd be stocking up in brain bleach for months...

 

And hang on... He did a double take, blinking a few times as the word 'manservant' registered in his mind. "Er... Wait what? Manservant..? What..?" Blinking again, he managed a smirk. "Finally get someone t' stay after yer creepy card playin' then?" Mai tensed momentarily at that, before grinning in response.

 

"You could say that," she said as she stood to the side, gesturing to the space behind her. "TA-daaah!"

 

From behind the tree, a familiar face appeared, its owner smirking as he gave a wave to them. Though familiar was a fairly loose term, given that it was more 'familiar to all those who had a TV'... Not to mention, this was the same guy who poked fun at their sleeping arrangements on the boat... Only to show up later in that same room. Hahahahaa... Now that he thought about it, Mai hadn't been in that room that evening... So if you thought about the reason behind the switch, this was probably just her using the guy instead of dating.

 

(Otherwise it wasn't really working in his head.)

 

"Heh heh heh... Been a while Yugi, Jonouchi!" Dinosaur Ryuzaki... Wait, Katsuya thought as realization finally thumped him in the head. He was facing the runner up for the tournament? He swallowed, before remembering Mai's 'duck comment'. Damn it! Who cared if this was probably part of some weird vengeance plan! He could do this...

 

And he would do it! For Mokuba and Shizuka both! "Alright," he shouted, gritting his teeth. "I'LL TAKE YOU ON!"

 

"J-Jonouchi, I really doubt-" Hang on what was Honda saying!

 

"I AM NOT A GOD-DAMNED DUCK!" As Honda drew back, he shook his head. Honestly... God. Turning back to face his opponent, he nodded again. Alright... "I'll do it!"

 

Ryuzaki nodded as well, moving from the tree he'd been leaning on with a smirk. "We'll duel in that box over there," he said, before walking off with another wave. "I'm going ahead, alright?" He nodded as well.

 

"Right!" As he said this, Mai moved to join the teen, Yugi coming up beside him at that moment.

 

"Jonouchi," the teen said, his friend looking down at the moment in thought. He almost seemed to be lost in whatever he was thinking about, before Yugi turned to look up at him. "I need to ask you something about earlier, during the duel with the ventriloquist..." The ventriloquist..? Why would he be asking about that? Katsuya blinked, before nodding. Well...

 

Not like it couldn't wait just a little more right? "Got it... We can talk after this then... Listen, Yugi," he said, the teen giving him his attention. "I need t' ask ya a favor." If he was going to do this for Mokuba and everyone else, he might as well go all out... As the others turned to listen, he continued, mentally kicking himself. "I don't want yah t' give me any advice during this duel! None at all, alrigh'?" That way it would all be 'him'- and he'd be able to tell himself that when he got to the other side. Granted...

 

Yugi's advice was pretty good... And also fairly helpful... Damn it... Why'd he say that? What the hell did he just- ACK. Never mind... He wasn't going back on his words, and it wasn't like he could turn back time anyways! Though the others seemed to be having thoughts fairly similar to his doubts right now... "What are you saying Jonouchi," Anzu shouted, the others nodding in agreement.

 

"Dude, that's crazy!" That would be Honda...

 

"You can't beat him on your own Jonouchi-kun!" And Bakura...

 

He smirked, shaking his head. Well... Regardless of what they thought (And what he thought...), he shrugged. "Yeah yeah... I know..." The blond gave a sad smile, continuing. "Inside my head, I'm tellin' myself th' same thing... 'what th' hell did you jus' say, damn idiot!'... That's what I'm hearing!" Katsuya held up his glove, looking at the starchips. The two that sat there gleamed in the setting sun, and as he looked over them he found himself nodding to himself yet again. "I'm gonna bet all my starchips on this duel... An' if I lose, it's all over..." He swallowed, clenching his fists. "And it'll mean I can't save Mokuba..." It would mean he couldn't save anyone... "But... I'm gonna win by myself," he said, smirking as he turned towards the duel box. "An' by winning... I'll be winnin' for th' others too, doing it on my own! That's how I feel!" Yugi stared at him a few moments, before nodding. He got it...

 

Abruptly, he seemed to 'drop', almost collapse... And before they knew it...

 

"Yugi!" The blond stared, before grinning as Yugi looked around with wide eyes. The few strands of blond hair that stood on end as the 'Other Yugi' flopped back over his face, and the boy shook himself for a few seconds. "Hah! The normal Yugi came back!" Now that he thought about it, for all the similarities he had a fair number of slight differences from his 'other self' in terms of appearance...

 

His friend blinked as the others stared at him, before grinning. "Hahaha! Yep!" As the others made to cheer Katsuya on, the boy continued to grin, chasing after his friend as they headed toward the duel box. "Jonouchi-kun, good luck!" He nodded, turning around and shaking his head with wide eyes. Hoooooly shit. Having gotten so used to hanging around the 'other Yugi'...

 

The overall cheer and almost childish attitude that the 'original' had was pretty damn weird. 'Yugi,' Anzu was shouting in the back ground, 'Let's cheer for Jonouchi!' 'Yeah,' was the loud, cheery response, and Katsuya resisted the urge to shake himself off. Sooooo different...

 

If this sort of thing happened often, he'd probably have to carry around a bucket of water or something. That or his arm would be completely red from all the pinching he was doing.

 

A few seconds later, he was staring Ryuzaki down across the duel table, decks cut and shuffled as cheers came for both sides from around the box. "Heh..." Ryuzaki turned, snorting. "The peanut gallery sure seems lively..." For all the sting of the comment, it actually sounded pretty calm; maybe the duel wouldn't be to bad! "By the way," he added, turning to his opponent. "How many Star Chips you betting?" Katsuya tossed his two chips on the table, frowning slightly. His only chance...

 

Regardless of how his opponent acted, he couldn't slip up even once! "Two!"

 

The teen nodded, pulling two off from his own glove. "Gotcha! I'll bet two as well then; I have the mountain field, and you have the grassland," he began, placing his deck in position on the field. " And the mountain field gives my dinosaurs a power up," he added with a smirk. "Get ready!" Another nod. Alright... Ryuzaki was runner up in the tournament finals... His dinosaur cards were strong, but if he could pull out the two card combo he used to beat Mai... Baby Dragon and Time Wizard would finish this off easily! "Let's go," Ryuzaki shouted, pulling the blond from his thoughts. "Duel!"

 

They drew their cards, Katsuya grinning. "Lucky..." First hand and he already had Baby Dragon and Time Wizard! He smirked, already confident in himself. He could win this... He could definitely win this! "Let's go! I summon Baby Dragon in Defense mode!" He definitely wasn't putting him in attack mode. That would be silly. For a moment, Ryuzaki appeared to be staring at the monster incredulously; after all...

 

It had what, a few hundred points to defend with. He soon shook it off, playing his card with a smirk. "Alright then! This is my card; Two Headed King Rex!" Ehh... Shit... He probably should have remembered to put a card to keep the first half of his combo alive huh... Not that he had one really... He winced as Ryuzaki sent it forward, groaning as the dinosaur squished Baby Dragon beneath its fat clawed toes. "AHAHAHAA!" Ryuzaki laughed at the expression on Katsuya's face, shaking his head. "What are you, stupid? You can't just put down random cards, use your head a little!" As the teen rapped on his own head, smirk still in place, Katsuya grimaced. Sheesh! He had been! ...Kinda.

 

Alright, so... Why was Mokuba's taunting voice of 'you can't win with just monsters' in his mind... Damn it... Ugh... At the thought of Mokuba and the boy's current likely position, his mood soured even more. Shit... Toning out the shouts from outside, he looked at the dinosaur with partial disgust, idly looking at the attack power it held with a frown. Shit... There went his trump card... And his strategy...

 

He scowled as Mai shouted that particular part out loud. Yeah yeah, rub it in why don't you... So he couldn't use Baby Dragon with Time Wizard now, he'd just have to pull out something else! He had at least one card that would work in here...

 

"C'mon," his opponent said, snapping Katsuya from his thoughts. Ryuzaki had a frown on his face, arms crossed in impatience. "Play your next card!" He nodded. "Right..." God damn Mai mouthing him off outside... Seriously, what did she have against him anyways, just because he was mouthing off on her cards... ...They had it coming.

 

Ryuzaki had a fairly strong monster on the field, that was true, but he had a good one in his hand as well thanks to this draw! Gritting his teeth, he played a card on the field. That Rex's attack should be below his monster's so... "Let's go, Demonic Ox-Man! Attack!" Ryuzaki grinned, laughing loudly as most of the others outside groaned. Shit.

 

He'd missed something again, hadn't he. "HAHAHA! You really are a moron! Did you seriously just forget about the field effect?" And _AAAAAAWWW SHIT_. Yes. Yes he did, and FUUUUUUUUUUUU- "DINOSAU FOOT STOMP!" The Rex charged at his ox-man, and though his own monster managed to force the foot off of him for a few moments, he soon joined Baby Dragon in a pile of mush on the field. Aggguuuhh..

 

"Damn it..." His points dropped by a few hundred, and he winced. Great... He took the first hit. Idly, he heard Yugi say 'Don't rush!' from outside, and he nodded. Alright... Alright calm down, don't rush... Don't rush... Wait... Didn't he tell Yugi not to give him advice? Then again, 'don't rush' was pretty standard... Ok. Ryuzaki got a bonus from the wastelands... But two could play at that game! His field was grassland after all... And grassland powered up swordsmen and warrior monsters. "Alright... This is my card then," he shouted, playing one on the field. "Axe Raider! And he gets the grassland field bonus!" As the axe raider stood, gaining enough to surpass the twin rex, he nodded. Don't rush... He wouldn't attack this turn. "I'll set him here and end my turn!" His opponent nodded, drawing a card.

 

"My turn," he said, apparently glad that Katsuya was actually being an 'opponent' now rather than just playing cards left and right. "Ok! This is my card, also gaining a bonus! Sword Dragon!" The stegosaurus like monster appeared on the field with a roar, attack just barely surpassing Katsuya's own. SHIT. That wasn't good! "DRAGON TAIL SWORD Axe Raider's gotten what was coming to him!"

 

"Gh!" He watched as the monster charged the field to slam his tail down on the Axe Raider. Katsuya winced, watching as the monster was cut cleanly in two while the stegosaurus meandered back to his own side of the field. Shit... Even more attack points... "HAHAHA! It's no good," Ryuzaki said with a smirk, before grinning. "If you think you can beat my dinosaurs, you'd be better off living in the ice age!" Yeah, whatever the _FUCK_ that meant! God!

 

He looked down at the table, eyes closing as he rubbed his head. Damn it... If this was Ryuzaki's beat down strategy he was done for. Man... He knew he couldn't... Briefly, he found himself turning to look at Yugi, before quickly smacking himself in the head. Fuck! He had to pull himself together, god... What was wrong with him, falling into that kind of gloom so easily. Yes, Mokuba was gone and there was no telling what happened to him... But he couldn't let that, or anything else bug him. He had to win! He had to!

 

With his own power..! "My turn," he finally said, drawing a card. Alright... He didn't have any cards to match his dinosaur... Katsuya looked over the 'Time Wizard', biting his lip. Well... Maybe it had some other power... He set it face down, watching as Mai began whispering through the glass to Ryuzaki. Obviously he wasn't able to hear what the woman was saying... And Ryuzaki himself didn't say much in response. Something about 'not having a clue about how to use it' really, but the only thing he could think of that he would be talking about was the card... But... How the hell could they know what he set? He mentally shrugged, before grabbing another card from his hand. It was probably a fluke... Damn it... "Anyways," he muttered, putting the card on the field. Better keep Time Wizard safe, not to mention his lifepoints... "For my turn, I'm putting Ogre Rock in defense position..."

 

Across from him, Ryuzaki smirked. "A monster like that ain't gonna beat this one! Wasteland power up! I summon Megasaurier!" The teen laughed, the triceratops-like monster appearing on the field and preparing to charge. It pawed the ground, snorting before it took off to gore the ogre on Katsuya's side of the field. "Megasaurier's charging attack! And Ogre Rock bites the dust!" He winced again, playing another monster in attack mode with a grimacing attempt at a smile.

 

"How about this then..." This monster gained a bonus too; if he was lucky, it would beat out the others...

 

There was merely another laugh in response, Ryuzaki drawing a card and pointing his triceratops forwards yet again."HA! That one's just a snack for my dinosaurs!" Shit, their bonus still topped his! Katsuya scowled as his points went down, biting his lip again as shouts rang out outside and mutters began yet again. Come on, come on..! He drew his next card, steeling himself. He could do this! For

himself, for the others... Besides... He grit his teeth as he smirked. If he lost now, Seto would probably use his hide for a carpet or something. Not even that...

 

More likely just throw him in a meat grinder. But that wouldn't happen... Katsuya looked over his card, mentally nodding to himself. It couldn't happen! "My turn," he stated, now confident once more. "And this is my card, the Flame Swordsman! He gets a field power up!"

 

His opponent blinked, grinning as the robed warrior appeared on the field. "Ohoo... You finally brought out a serious card!" As if to agree with this, the swordsman held his blade out in an attack stance, the weapon glowing with heat as its owner frowned. He nodded, pointing the monster forwards. Damn straight he did; but none of his monsters weren't serious... He picked them for a reason, and so did Yugi after all!

 

"Let's go! ATTACK!" Flame Swordsman and Megasauriler's attack power was equal, that was true; he didn't need Ryuzaki to tell him that. However, that wasn't all that was working in his favor... "BLAZING SPIRIT SWORD," he began, the swordsman charging forwards to cut through the dinosaur in a flurry of flames. "Megasauriler is annihilated!" Fire trumped all dinosaur cards, all of them! And since the entirety of Ryuzaki's deck was based on them, there was no way he could lose now! As his opponent reeled back in shock as he took a hit to his life points as a result of the attack, Katsuya smirked. Just watch... He'd win with his own strength... And he'd fix this mess! He'd get Mokuba back, while giving Shizuka the chance to see without glasses, without a blurred veil of nothingness..! "HAH! Take that dino-freak," he said with a grin, Ryuzaki scowling at the 'dino-freak' comment. "This guy is my best of the best... And you can kiss all your dinosaurs good bye," he added, watching as Ryuzaki tensed, "Cause I'm gonna beat the crap outta all of them!"

 

'Keep on at it', they shouted outside, the blond nodding. No problem...

 

He would do just that! "It's your turn, 'dino-freak'!" Ryuzaki visibly glared at the jibe at his deck, drawing a card. The look on his face quite clearly said he wasn't able to counter...

 

The teen put a card in defense on the table, still scowling. "I'll put wild raptor on the field and end my turn!" HAH! Now he was running! Nice to see the tables had turned!

 

"Ok, my turn," he shouted, grinning. Lets get rid of the next attack mode dinosaur! "Flame Swordsman, attack!" The swordsman rushed forwards with his blade yet again, cleaving through the twin headed rex and making Ryuzaki's points drop even more. "TAKE THAT!" As the cheers continued from outside, he had to smirk; at the moment, it looked like Mai was reaming Ryuzaki out for beginning to lose. Ryuzaki himself didn't seem to pleased with her, muttering something about busty blonds always being 'bitches'. Somehow, he couldn't help but agree... (Though Mai certainly didn't.) But there were bigger jerks (And fish, to quote Ryota) in the world.

 

And one of them was comatose. He watched as Ryuzaki again drew a card, frowning and setting it in defense. Huh... He'd have to get through that 'wall' first then... Nonetheless. "CUT IT IN HALF," he shouted again, Flame Swordsman slicing through the last of Ryuzaki's attack mode monsters. From outside, he heard Mai say something about not dueling the teen if he lost, and he had to laugh. So that was why he was here? She probably set him up to duel him as a precaution... Knock him out, and know to watch your step. And with the reverse, it was one less problem to deal with!

 

Well, explained the 'manservant' deal at least, he noted with a mental sigh...

 

Back to the battle though, he had to smirk as Ryuzaki stared at the board with a frown. "Heh heh.. What's wrong dinofreak? Run outta cards?"

 

The teen scowled, drawing a card. "Oh just shut your trap already," he muttered, before his expression abruptly changed. Oh... Oh fuck, that was never a good thing... Hell that was the look he had when he drew his swordsman he bet... "HAHAHA! Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" The monster appeared on the field, Katsuya gaping. Oh fuck... That... That was a really strong card. Ryuzaki continued to laugh, grinning. "Heh heh heh! Not so cheery now are yah?" No... No he really wasn't, Katsuya decided as the black, skeletal dragon flexed his wings with a feral growl. "I got the legendary Red Eyes Black Dragon as a tournament prize; it's an ultra rare card! Red Eyes is a dark attribute, so it won't get a power up... But it's still more powerful than your swordsman! GET READY!" He directed his monster forwards, the dragon rearing its head. "Black Fire Bullet! Destroy Flame Swordsman!" FUCK!

 

He watched as his card smoked out of existence, his points dropping to 65. Fuck fuck _fuck fuck fuck_! It got his swordsman... FUCK! That was the best card in his deck... He looked down at the table, gritting his teeth. This was it... "Shit," he muttered, ignoring Ryuzaki as the teen laughed. 65 points, you didn't come back from that kind of move... Not unless you had insane luck like a certain friend of his! He was gonna lose...

 

Drawing his next card, his mood not improving at all, the teen grit his teeth. Shit.. Mokuba... Shizuka... Everyone... The meat grinder was actually looking fairly comfortable now... He looked up blankly as Ryuzaki started shouting at him, frowning slightly. "Jonouchi," he was calling, voice seeming further away than it actually was. What was it..? He was about to win, what was it..? "This is a trading card game.. So lets make a bet! The winner gets one of the loser's cards!" What? Why was he making that bet now..? It wasn't like his Flame Swordsman would do any good in a dinosaur deck right..? And yet... "So if I win," he continued, Katsuya's frown deepening, "I want your Time Wizard!" Time Wizard? The blond looked down at where he placed the card. Oh yea, he'd forgotten-

 

Wait, why did Ryuzaki want that card? Hell, how did Ryuzaki even know he had that card! It'd been face down the entire time!

 

"And if I lose," the teen was continuing, "You get my Red Eyes Black Dragon! It's a premium card, worth over a hundred thousand yen!" HUNDRED THOUSAND! He watched blankly as Mai began shouting at Ryuzaki about the trading rule, a determined expression coming over his face. A hundred thousand yen card... Not only would he be one step closer to Mokuba if he won, but when he finally got there and Yugi freed everyone... He'd be that much closer to Shizuka's eyes...

 

And if he didn't get the prize when he saved Mokuba, that card could very well pay for her eyes as it was! He nodded, clenching his fist. "I'll do it," he shouted, watching as the two continued to bicker. Alright... Think, think! He didn't have any other cards he could use, but they obviously wanted it for some reason. It was a special card... A card that he put a lot of trust into; Yugi gave it to him for a

reason and not just for a trump with Baby Dragon! He didn't know what would happen... But he didn't have anything left. And if he lost this bet, and this game, he wouldn't have another chance... Right! The blond stared at the table, mentally nodding. He'd take this gamble! "I'll put this card face up," he shouted, the ones across from him not noticing for the moment. "I'm using Time Wizard!"

 

Ryuzaki and Mai instantly turned from their argument, looking over with raised eyebrows. Ah... That got their attention! Ok then... Thinking back to what Ryuzaki had muttered earlier, there was some sort of trick to this card, Katsuya decided with a slight frown. How did this card- Ah! He looked at the top of the staff blinking. On the staff... It looked like...

 

He narrowed his eyes. A roulette wheel? The skulls were probably bad... But there was a 2-4 shot of getting a crown, which would probably do something, given the odds against it... So... "ALRIGHT," he shouted, smirking. "TIME ROULETTE! When th' roulette spinner stops... Success will mean 'Time Magic'..." Or... Or something. Whatever it was, it probably had something to do with time... Not like he'd be dinged for saying it wrong right? "And failure will result in self-destruction!" The needle spun rapidly, Katsuya biting his lip. Come on, come on... Odds were against him, but he needed a miracle! Across from him, Ryuzaki and Mai were both watching with wide eyes, as were everyone else... Come on... The needle began to slow... Come on...

 

And it landed on...

 

The crown.

 

"SUCCESS," he shouted with a grin, the familiar wave of light appearing over the field. "TIME MAGIC!" He watched as the monsters on the table rapidly aged, Ryuzaki tensing as his monsters degraded into almost nothing. "A million years in the future," he shouted with a grin, "Your dinosaurs have become fossils! ALL OF THEM ARE DEAD!" Ryuzaki's points plummeted to zero as his dinosaurs and dragon both died, face pale. The duel was over.

 

Gathering his cards Katsuya idly smirked as Mai joined in the chorus of cheers. The others had noticed as well, giving her a fairly confused stare as the woman coughed in an attempt to cover it up. Hahaha, she just didn't want to be on the other end of that card... Given that even on its own there was a fair shot of clearing the field, he didn't want to either. Still...

 

Crazy blond twit... (Wait, he was blond... Uh... Lets rephrase that...)

 

Ryuzaki handed him the Red Eyes card, honoring their agreement as two starchips were also added to his wrist. The teen still had at least one chip left it looked like; so for all that had happened (including losing such a rare and powerful card), he seemed pretty cool about things. Mai on the other hand, had since vanished... Most likely to get her remaining two chips.

 

"Hahaaa!" Katsuya had to grin as he left the duel box to the shouts of his friends. He had struggled in there but in the end... It really felt fulfilling, winning on his own. Hell... Not only had he done that, he got his own rare card too! He bet even 'Seto-chan' wouldn't sneeze at that one. Pocketing the Red Eyes Black Dragon with the rest of his deck, the grin grew still wider. Four chips down, six to go. One step closer to Mokuba, one step closer to Shizuka's eyes, one step closer to Yugi's grandpa...

 

They could do this!

 

* * *

 

The sun was already setting Seto noted as she stared out the window. The sound of chopping helicopter blades filled the air, visible waves rocking through the ocean below as they passed. A majority of the trip had been held in silence not that she minded. Both the guard at her side and the pilot were two unknown employees, and she would much rather not speak with them. Not while she was looking over her papers or simply staring at the sky that at the moment, felt rather foreign to her.

 

Somehow while she couldn't remember anything past 'falling asleep' at Death-T, it seemed as though she'd missed seeing it. All the same she decided as she turned from the window, grabbing her case from the ground, the silence was beginning to grate at even her nerves and one could only stare at the setting sun for so long. The case was opened, the woman idly taking a glance through the window again. Nothing in all directions could be seen now that they were 'half way there'. Just an endless expanse of water, with no way of telling just where they were. Briefly she wondered how long they'd been flying; she didn't know the time after all, and there was no clock in the helicopter that she could see from her seat. It made it rather easy to hide things from her actually...

 

Her eyes narrowed, but she held her tongue; now wasn't the time to bother with such things. Instead, she would go over the other things she'd brought with her. Seto grabbed a few of the cards from her briefcase, eyes lingering on the proto-type 'duel disk' she'd made those months ago. Now that she thought about it... While these would be able to bypass Pegasus' mind-scan however it worked, it wasn't a very 'user friendly' system. Spitting cards to the side after use, the constant throwing and recalling... Hn.

 

She would have to do some redesigning after this was all over... But really when they'd first been designed, she'd had a few other things on her mind.

 

Such as him...

 

"Death-T," she found herself muttering, the guard beside her turning. Thankfully she knew better than to foolishly mutter things without using her false voice. It would cause problems if she didn't after all... Seto flipped through some of the cards, eyes growing distant as she continued to speak. "...How long has it been since then," she whispered to herself with a frown, eyes almost closed as she stared at the cards. She assumed it was almost winter- while she'd made note of which day in the week it was, she hadn't paid proper attention to he month and number. She'd missed Mokuba's birthday though, that was for sure...

 

Not to mention every other day between then and now. Beside her the guard coughed, as though thrown by the question. "Yes... Well..." Seto raised an eyebrow, her face still turned away from the guard as the man spoke. "It's been approximately half a year Seto-sama." She looked at the guard from the corner of her eye before snorting. Regardless of the fact that she wasn't speaking to him she had to mentally shake her head at that. Half a year... She'd been gone for _half a year._..

 

"What a year indeed," she found herself muttering again, going over a few of the cards she'd grabbed from the case. "I think I've forgotten how the cards felt..." She knew it was at least that much time already however, so the answer wasn't helpful at all. For now, she had at least one other question she wanted to have answered. And while she doubted the answer would be honest, she still wanted one.

 

"We... Have all been waiting for your recovery Seto-sama," the guard continued without prompting, Seto idly noting that his expression said otherwise. In fact, the tone did as well... Well, regardless of that.

 

She held the cards with one hand, grabbing the folder Kyouko had handed her with the other. "I should hope so," she said, eyes narrowed slightly. "After all... You work for me, correct?" There was a hidden meaning in that, and she continued to stoke the flames that burned it. "All the events that occurred involving KaibaCorp, and even those outside the company," she began, eyes still narrowed, "Are in this report... Mokuba gave this to the only maid he trusted," the woman continued, placing the file down on her case. And there had only been one, given the crowd of new faces she'd seen in that foyer. "Now why is that..."

 

The guard coughed, expression unreadable as he gave his response. "We are worried about Mokuba-sama as well, Seto-sama. Believe us when we say, we will get him back."

 

"Of course we will," she stated rather bluntly, finding herself staring at her case. Mokuba... She would not waste this chance! "You sound as though you have doubts... ...'Okami'," the woman continued, the guard nodding as she addressed him. Honestly, she was surprised she'd bothered herself with remembering his name. But really, it would probably help for this small moment. "Just how is it that not a single member of my staff were able to prevent my brother from going missing..?"

 

As she asked this, Seto pulled the papers from the folder to go over them, having only made it half way through before turning her attention to the deck. Once she'd found out that the Board of Directors had taken control, she'd just about had it with the papers. There would be a number of changes being made when she got back, mark her words...

 

She placed the cards down to look through the remaining papers as the guard beside her- Okami- coughed yet again. "T-That is..." He frowned slightly before continuing, Seto practically watching the cover-story being written right then. "We have a theory, Seto-sama... We believe that it may have been an inside job..." Of course it was... She showed no visible reaction, instead skimming the papers at a fairly quick pace. Most of the information was to be expected. The board of course wasn't stupid enough to refurbish the newly established Game Technologies company as an Arms manufacturer again; that would cost far too much, and besides that they would need to get into her safe to find anything that would make it possible. There was something at the end of these papers that she absolutely needed to get to though. Something important that Mokuba, or perhaps someone else, had left behind...

 

"An inside job," she said, not looking from the papers. As the guard beside her nodded in response, she flipped through another form to look at the next. "Go on then," the woman continued. "Just who is it that you believed kidnapped Mokuba?" Who was it that you were planning on blaming, who was it that this man wanted fired more than anything... It was already fairly clear that this 'guard' would more likely attempt to attack her than protect her once he was found out- however at the moment it did more to simply hold her tongue. She could deal with the trash when she arrived at Pegasus' island. For now she needed to go through these papers, and find out if those she had been told she could trust could legitimately be trusted...

 

Okami grew silent for a moment, as though hesitating. He pressed on any way. "It was one of his personal employees, Seto-sama; to be specific, a young part-time member of the security force by the name of Jonouchi Katsuya." She paused just slightly, before returning to her papers. Interesting, how it had changed from 'suspected' to 'it was'. But Jonouchi... It was that name again, the one that she kept hearing since she woke up. So they wanted her to believe that he was to blame then? And yet Kyouko, who had given her these papers had insisted that this same Jonouchi was the one who went after Mokuba... That would make a good cover given the obvious reality; but for what reasons could she possibly trust this man, she decided as she continued to listen. "As he disappeared shortly after the boy went missing, we believe that he is the one responsible for his kidnapping..." The guard seemed to grow more nervous as she went through the papers, coughing again.

 

She had no reasons to trust anyone at the moment really, not outside those she herself had hired... However... If Mokuba himself had hired this 'Jonouchi'... Seto remained silent as she shuffled through the papers, now coming to the last few. As she grabbed the last form however, a wide eyed frown visibly appeared on her face. There was a note attached... Eyes skimmed it over before the papers were replaced inside the folder, the frown still set across her face.

 

Okami looked over at the woman, coughing yet again. "...S... Seto-sama..?" The woman took up her cards again, ignoring the guard for a brief moment. Those last two papers...

 

Aside from the note, there had been a form detailing a single week of vacation for that same 'Jonouchi Katsuya'. Signed by her personal assistant himself, and dated the very evening after Mokuba had supposedly gone missing according to Kyouko. So it was two people now that she trusted completely, who also trusted this person. Her thoughts returned to the note as she continued to frown, staring out of the window again while gripping her cards. It was messily written, and not at all professional; but even so she somehow felt it was enough to increase her suspicions on the guard beside her, possibly more so than the guard's own words against Isono's and her brother's apparent ones had been.

 

' _I won't break my promise_ ,' it said in messy kanji and kana, the woman frowning. A promise...

 

If she could recall even meeting this person, she would be wondering what it was. But the words after made it fairly clear that it was not something she would remember.

 

' _I'll bring him back,_ ' the second half said.

 

Aside from that, there wasn't even a signature. Even so she had a feeling she knew who wrote that... "Hnp..." She grit her teeth, eyes narrowing with rage as she idly shuffled the deck of cards in her hands. "To think the Board of Directors would even think of making a deal with Pegasus..." It had been detailed quite clearly in the folder. If Pegasus defeated Yugi, who had beaten her at Death-T, then they would hand the company over without question. A deal that would easily win those five money, and Pegasus even more, and it disgusted her completely. "Making such an exchange behind my back, and taking Mokuba as well..." Okami visibly tensed at these words, and she continued to mutter to herself. "He will pay dearly for this..." With her hands...

 

She would end this scum that dared to mess with her internal affairs. There was a nervous cough again, and she mentally wondered what sort of excuses the guard beside her would come up with now. He was making himself terribly obvious... "One thing Seto-sama," he began, regaining his 'neutral' tone of voice. "There is, after all, another enemy on the island we are approaching. Do not forget about the boy who started this entire mess to begin with." She kept silent, replacing the deck she'd gone through to look through the next one in her briefcase. The boy... 'Yugi'? She highly doubted that he would stand in between her brother and herself... "Exacting revenge on him," the guard continued, seeming to stare at the deck of cards that Seto was now shuffling through, "Is the short cut to reviving your former reputation, Seto-sama!"

 

"...Revenge..." Somehow she didn't feel as though revenge against Yugi was what was driving her for the moment; particularly with Mokuba's life on the line. Nonetheless she remembered the duel clearly... The shock of the final summoning of Exoida, the look in his eyes...

 

'An instant of atonement Kaiba,' the teen had shouted as he pointed at her that day.

 

Atonement... She stopped shuffling through the deck, smirking. "His battling was splendid," she muttered, partially to herself. Seto turned to look out the window, eyes growing distant as she stared out at the night sky. Slowly, she watched as the moon appeared from behind the clouds, continuing her mutterings with little regard for those listening. "Just as the last time I fought him..." Still staring at the ocean, she ignored the stare that Okami was now giving her; what use were the opinions of someone she would likely need dead in a few moments anyways? "I don't care if my heart seethes with feelings of revenge or not," she stated aloud, a small smirk appearing on her face. "I want to fight with him again..." And again and again until she won...

 

With feelings that were focused entirely on the duel rather than another purpose. Abruptly Seto tensed, eyes narrowing as the clouds in the sky cleared completely. Still holding the cards in her hands, she stared at the moon, watching closely as it slowly drifted towards the left. How strange, she thought as she fixed a narrowed stare at the sky. Slowly but surely the moon disappeared from the side of the window, increasing her suspicion. The moon was moving in the opposite direction of the place they were heading... She frowned, eyes drifting to the other window and watching as the moon slowly began to appear in view. Circles...

 

Her gaze shifted back to her case, a growl caught in her throat. The helicopter was moving in circles, the most childish and idiotic way to keep her from reaching her destination and it had worked. And given that she already had her suspicions, she had a fairly clear idea of why...

 

There was a click beside her, and the woman turned her attention to the so called guard Okami. "Tch," the man muttered, gun held at the ready and aimed directly for her head. Quick to draw. She hadn't said anything, and yet her well guarded body language had still managed to set him off. "It seems you've noticed already, Kaiba Seto..." He smirked, chuckling slightly as the gun gleamed in the light of the helicopter. "I was beginning to wonder how long I would have to hold out... The silence was killing me... But then maybe you thought that yourself, with all the muttering you've been doing lately..." Tch... Morons. She gave a mock sigh, fingering the cards in her hand as the guard continued. Honestly... She had no time for this garbage. "You're going to become a snack for the sharks 'Seto-sama'," the guard stated with a gratingly annoying tone. "They've been getting rather hungry..."

 

Were they now..? The woman scoffed, placing a card in her right hand before returning the rest to her other. Not as though this moron would realize what she was doing now... "Hnhnhnhnhn..." She chuckled, before resuming her frown. "It would figure that such small time employees would betray me as well..." She fixed a narrowed glare through the corners of her eyes, continuing. "Tell me, how long was it before my brother saw through your facade Okami?"

 

Okami merely smirked wickedly, still holding the gun. "Who knows," he said finger slowly pressing on the trigger. "Maybe if you're lucky you can find him in the other world and ask him yourself!" Mokuba-! He dared to even imply that he was dead..! "Get ready... Hi hi hi hih..."

 

Her eyes narrowed dangerously, before a false expression of calm came over her face. No... She raised her hands above her head, eyes closed as she silently reminded herself that Mokuba was alive. He had to be alive... He had to... There was no reason for Pegasus to kill him, no reason... He was alive... Before you shoot," she began, holding the card above the gun at a somewhat odd angle. "I'd rather not get blood on my cards..." She closed the case in front of her with her other hand, setting it on the ground before bringing that hand above her head as well. "Let me put my hands above my head first..."

 

"Hi hi hi hi hih..." The 'guard' continued to chuckle, before nodding. Good... He hadn't realized she could have put the card in the case. "Alright... Not a problem... Words worthy of the 'Prince of

Cards," he added, seemingly emphasizing the title. Prince... Tch! She was far more than some 'Prince', she guaranteed that! As Seto's glare increased, the man's expression twisted into a frown. "Now then! DIE, SETO!"

 

A flick of the wrist was all it took.

 

The card was dropped swiftly and rather than a loud bang there was merely a light 'clack' noise as the gun failed to fire. Okami stared in shock as the gun locked, hand shaking as a guard sat between the trigger and the gun barrel. Gyakuten no Megami... The 'Goddess of Change'. Seto's eyes narrowed further, teeth grinding in anger as the man before her continued to stare at the gun in shock. "You..." He turned to her with wide eyes, expression barely visible from behind the black shades. A thick dent was visible on the card, but the trigger was still unable to connect with the rest of the gun. Still... That dent wasn't going to be coming out. "Thanks to you," she hissed, grabbing the barrel of the gun tightly with a snarl, "A rare card has been ruined!"

 

There was a sickening crack in the room of the helicopter, followed by a wailing and piercing scream as she snapped the guard's grip and fingers backward. Seto pulled the gun into her hand in one smooth motion from Okami's now useless finger, taking the card with her other hand and aiming the gun at Okami with a cold glare. The man continued to scream, clutching his finger in pain. Quickly however, he noticed the weapon that was now being pointed at him, drawing back from the gun with a choked scream. Seto smirked darkly, not even bothering to stand as she held the gun towards Okami's head.

 

"If you're going to kill me," she stated, the smirk vanishing. "Do it with cards, or not at all! Now," she shouted, ignoring the man's mutterings of 'how... how..' "Open the door!" Okami did just that, drawing it out as much as he could get away with while pleading for his life. In response, he received nothing but a cold, uncaring stare. Pathetic... One single turn around and the opponent was groveling for their life... "Hn! ... You, Pilot," she shouted, the man turning with a swallow. Yes... She certainly hadn't forgotten him... "Both of you are leaving this helicopter one way or another, get out!"

 

The pilot froze, stuttering as the gun was turned on him. "B-B-But s-sir... You can't possibly pilot this craft without me... R-R-Right..?" Ahh, and there was that defense as well...

 

Of course, given her skills in vehicle handling, it was a pointless shield. "Hnhnhnhn..." She smirked, moving from her seat to stand. "Oh don't worry... I know how to pilot a helicopter..." The woman moved over, grabbing her briefcase and holding it tightly. With the grip she held, it would be easy to crack it over either one of the men's heads... And if she had to, she would do it without question. "Even if I break open your skull in that seat, I can still get to the island easily..."

 

The pilot gulped, knowing full well what she had grabbed the case for. "U-U-Understood!" The man struggled to calm his breath, shakily standing with his hands raised. "Just please, don't... Don't kill me..!" Oh, just get out already... The pilot moved from his seat up front, joining Okami at the open door with wide eyes. "Please..." Don't kill them..?

 

It was tempting. The muttering and begging was really getting on her nerves... Nonetheless, she could stand it for this single moment, being the one with the gun in this situation. Only for this moment however. "Hnhnhn... I could care less what you scum want... Now," she shouted, taking a small step forward as the two men clung to the sides of the helicopter. Wind whipped through her hair, knocking the pilot's hat from his head and vanishing into the darkness. Her stare remained unchanged and cold, the two men frozen as she raised her briefcase. "Disappear into the ocean, both of you!"

 

A swing of the case, and the men released the sides of the door in a panic. Their eyes widened as they realized their fatal mistake, falling into the depths of the sea with a bloodcurdling scream of terror that was drowned out by the helicopter above them. Seto merely laughed loudly as she shut the door behind them, watching the men surface below. Taking a seat in the front as she took hold of the controls, she grinned.

 

"Filthy animals," she laughed, turning the vehicle towards the island. "I hope you become the food for the very sharks you spoke of earlier! HAH _AHAHAHAHAAA_!" As the clouds began to appear and surround the moon again laughter filled the air, accompanied by only the dull crackling static of the radio beside her. Now then, she thought with narrowed eyes.

 

To Pegasus' island!

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A pun was used above; in Japanese, Honda would have said 'karugaro' when he said 'I doubt that'- this sounds similar to the word for duck however, which is 'Karugamo'.


	6. Twelve Hours And Counting

_-grnnnnn-_

 

"Man..." Katsuya leaned against the tree with a groan as the last rays of sun left the sky. Regardless of all the fish they'd eaten earlier, it had still been a number of hours since that time; it was getting late.

 

And his stomach was protesting considerably.

 

"I'm hungry..." He knocked his head back against the tree, the others merely sighing in response. The fact was, without breakfast the most they'd had was a few cooked fish with Ryota; and even with that...

 

"Maybe we can find Ryota again tomorrow," Honda was muttering, arms crossed as he leaned against the tree as well. "Get some more fish..." That sounded great, if only they could do that right now. "Hey what time is it anyways?"

 

Katsuya blinked, turning to the others at the question. Well, he didn't have a watch... So... One of them had to at least. Bakura turned out to be that one person, as he pulled his sleeve back and clicked on the built-in light to look at the time. "Just around eight o clock..." As he looked up from the watch to turn to the others Yugi stared at the sky. By this point the stars were already visible...

 

In fact it was almost pitch black on the island, the only light in the area being Bakura's wrist watch. "Wow..." He blinked a few times, pulling his legs in for warmth as he sat down with the others. "It got dark and quiet really fast here..!"

 

There was a nod from the tree, Honda sighing. "Yeah... Haven't seen any other duelists for a while..." Try a few hours really. The air was fairly cool, not a breeze around them as the feeling of solitude came over. As it was one would think that rather than forty (Or however many were left, he wouldn't know) people it was just the five of them. In addition to Pegasus and Mokuba in the castle of course.

 

He sighed, staring at the sky before another growl came through the air.

 

_-grunnnnn-_

 

Damn it not again. The blond attempted to ignore his protesting stomach, instead moving to get comfortable on the tree. Come on, come on... He had to hold off for at least tonight, there wasn't anything in the area at all! "There isn't any one the island that's stupid enough t' duel when it's dark out..!" Another grumble, and he kicked at the ground before sitting up. "Nnnnnn, and I'm still hungry!"

 

Beside him, Honda shrugged. "Don't look at us! None of us have anything other than books and starchips..!" Books and god damned starchips- 'Your life depends on them', not! Bullshit...

 

Stupid american... "Shit man..." He groaned, rubbing his head before looking up with a growl. "Damn it! Screw starchips, I want some fucking food!" Even a mushroom would be good right now... He slumped forwards, groaning as the others sighed.

 

"I'd like some potato chips instead of starchips," Yugi was muttering from his own spot, giving a similar groan to Katsuya's. They were all hungry really...

 

Anzu as well was muttering something, and Katsuya continued to scratch at his head with a scowl. Had to be something around here they could eat, something... Didn't Honda mention mushrooms and edible plants earlier? Oh hey...

 

He moved over to one of the trees at the side, blinking as he looked at something white at the base. Now what was this..? Plucking it up, he narrowed his eyes before wincing. Shit... "Heh... A... A mushroom!" He continued to stare at it, stomach growling yet again at the prospect of something even remotely edible. Man...

 

He hated these things... Completely, but at the same time... The others behind him as well turned, following his gaze before the blond nodded. Right! Food was food! This would just be fuel for tomorrow!

 

"I'm gonna eat it..!"

 

"AH! Don't do it Jonouchi!" The others jumped, grabbing him as the mushroom fell to the ground. He growled, struggling against their hold as they continued. "You don't know if it's poisonous or not!"

 

"Yeah, what happens if you start tripping out!"

 

"DAMN IT," he shouted, finally pulling himself from their grip. It was a giant white mushroom, there wouldn't be a problem! "MY STOMACH'S GROWLING!"

 

There was rustling from the side, and they turned as the voice of the same woman who had seemingly been following them around all day came into the clearing. "Je _eeze_ what a crowd," she muttered, smirking with raised eyebrows. "All of you seem so hungry..!"

 

He groaned, turning as Honda stared with a red face again. Great. "Ackkk... Not you again..." His expression quickly changed when he noted that she wasn't talking any more. Instead, she was eating something. Something that suddenly appeared very, very appetizing despite being nothing more than a chocolate bar. "A-Ahhh..." The others followed his gaze, staring at the chocolate bar before he shook it off. Whatever! Like he wanted her food..! "Tch! Kujaku Mai," he said with a scowl, crossing his arms. "What the hell are you doing here anyways!"

 

The woman seemed to ignore them, still eating the chocolate. "Mmm... This choco-nuts bar is really, really good," she said as she chewed, holding the remainder out. "How about it Jonouchi, I'll trade you my bar for your starchips..!"

 

Katsuya snorted, gritting his teeth. Starchips for chocolate, what did she take him for! Regardless of what he said earlier... "Like hell I'd do that," he shouted, hair bristling slightly in annoyance. "These starchips are worth lives! I'm not trading them for anything!"

 

"Hnhnhn!" Mai chuckled, shaking her head with a wink. "Really, I'm just joking... If I was that much of a lowlife, I wouldn't have made you guys my enemies in the first place!" Tch... Don't fuck with him, seriously... Just what the hell did she want... As he continued to growl, the woman's smirk grew. "Don't give me that look... I almost feel like you're going to eat me!"

 

Another snort, regardless of what his grumbling stomach had to say about it. "Hah! Who would wanna do that, smart-ass bitch..." Again, she winked at them, taking the bag off her shoulder as she spoke.

 

"Well... Perhaps you don't see things that way, but how about this?" He blinked, raising an eyebrow while she addressed them all. "Why don't we call a truce for tonight," the woman began, Katsuya still frowning in response. "All of us are duelists right? We need to take it easy once in a while..!" Heh... Now what was that about...

 

He narrowed his eyes, still frowning. He didn't trust this lady... Following them around all day, as if she was staking them out... What happened if two of their chips were missing in the morning, or worse? (Though he admitted that would not likely happen...) Yugi however, was quick to jump on the offer. "That's true," he said with a grin, nodding at the offer. The boy waved her over, still grinning. "We're all tired from dueling all day... So sure! Come sit with us!"

 

"Ahhh, thank you~!" She walked over, opening the drawstring on her bag before dumping the contents on the ground. Cans and packets of various instant foods clattered out, along with a few bagged vegetables that looked as though they were drying out. "Now then... You guys want something to eat right," the woman began, Katsuya's stomach being all she needed for an answer. She chuckled, before pulling the drawstring back tight and taking a seat. "Well I have all sorts of stuff! If we get a fire going, we could cook up enough food for everyone!"

 

They stared as the contents fell to the ground, gasping. "Hah! This is..." Yugi gaped at the pile, shaking his head. "Food, tent, lantern... She has everything!" That tent was small, they weren't using it. Either way though... Katsuya gaped at the pile, unable to keep a smile of his face. All this stuff..!

 

Alright... So maybe she wasn't that bad. "Sheesh... This is incredible..." He still didn't trust her though. Not one bit. He leaned forwards, grabbing a few things and inspecting them. Still, this was a lot of stuff...

 

As they continued to rummage through the pile, Anzu turned to Mai with a raised eyebrow. "So how come you brought all this stuff with you?" That was a good question. He blinked, turning slightly as Anzu continued to wait for her answer. No one else really knew that the tournament would be on some island that wouldn't have food and a decent shelter, so why had Mai come so prepared?

 

The woman merely shrugged, shaking her head. "Well," she began, before crossing her arms. "You can't really trust too many people in a tournament like this...not even the hosts," she added, looking over them as she said as much. "So really, it only makes sense to prepare... Now then," she said with a smirk, turning on the others. "Boys! Time to start cooking; Anzu-chan and I will wait for you~!" Wait what? Why couldn't they do it! He growled slightly at that, while Yugi merely nodded and grinned.

 

"Got it," he said, turning to the others. "Lets get going!" Awww man, he couldn't argue when Yugi was already so gung-ho about this... Beside them, Bakura had already grabbed a few additional packages from the pile, taking a few more from Anzu and grabbing a pot.

 

"You can leave the cooking to me," he stated with a smile, Yugi grabbing a pile of wood from the side to build a fire. "I'm used to cooking for myself, so I'm pretty good at it..." That made sense... As the two moved off muttering about how, in Yugi's words, 'it's just like camping!', Mai turned on both Katsuya and Honda to toss them a second pot and bucket.

 

"And you two," she shouted with a grin, Katsuya catching the pot with a scowl, "Can get some water!" Oh great, they were camels... Still grumbling, he handed the bucket over to Honda.

 

"Man, why the hell do I have to take orders from you..." He found his hand shooting up on reflex as something else was tossed his way, looking at the back with a raised eyebrow. "'Shower'.. Wait, yer gettin' a shower set up too?" The blond shook his head, turning away. Leave it to someone with 'Peahen' for a last name... "Sheesh, why don't you get the water... Ow!"

 

He was quickly elbowed by Honda, who still had a bright red blush across his face. Well obviously someone was thinking... Of something irrelevant. "Dumbass! We're getting food out of it!" Oh come on, like she'd take away the food if he badmouthed her!

 

...Actually that was likely to happen. Shit. Maybe he really was thinking straight right now...

 

At Katsuya's set scowl in response to that, the teen pulled him off through the woods on the way to find some water. "Just suck it up Jonouchi!" Katsuya was still frowning, but he nonetheless held his tongue for a few seconds. Suck it up, suck it up... It was probably just until morning anyways...

 

"Yeah yeah..." He then grinned, chuckling as he noted that even as they were meters away from the woman, his friend was still red. "Least I know where my limits are... You c'n kiss yer chances goodbye if you think this'll get you in her good books!" His friend aimed a fist towards his head, and he dodged it fairly easily. "Heheheee!"

 

"Come on man," Honda was saying, adjusting his hold on the bucket that he had. Though he held a scowl initially, it quickly changed to a grin. "It's not like you didn't notice her either!" Actually... Not... Really. Hell she was hot but she didn't really do it for him.

 

Not a clue why but... Just didn't work. It was probably all the stuff from the duel, he thought. That or he was just verbally masochistic and preferred Seto's endless insults over Mai's breasts... (They were both still hot though)

 

Considering that this had been his thinking from the moment he saw her however, he had to admit that there was something up with it all. "Eh," he ended up muttering as they came to a stream, dunking the bucket and pot both under water. "She's alright... I guess..." Shit, he shouldn't say that. It was one thing to play along, but with that-

 

"Alright?" his friend said with a raised eyebrow. "She's ' _alright_ '? Dude..." He brought up his hands, each one around his shoulder as he turned to the blond. "Her boobs," he began, enunciating his words, "Are THIS BIG . How can that not get you going?"

 

"Sheesh..." He scratched the back of his head, a half-smile on his face. "Don't ask me how my 'other head' works! I'm probably just too worried about Mokuba alright!"

 

This was apparently enough to call the topic 'over' for Honda, as the teen raised an eyebrow before snorting in response. "Yeah... I got yah- you get really weird when that happens, you know that?"

 

He snorted. Weird? Please, that wasn't weird! (Was it?) "Psh, not as weird as you were earlier today! Since when did you call 'im a 'weasel'!"

 

"It works with Johji!"

 

"Yer nephew's three Honda! THREE." Going on four, sure, but still.

 

"You and I both know he acts a hell of a lot older than three!" Needless to say the topic very quickly vanished from that of the busty blond at their 'campsite' into something else entirely after that.

 

* * *

 

Getting back to the campsite had been fairly easy compared to finding the stream; it probably helped that Yugi and Bakura had gotten a fire going, and the light was fairly apparent. A warm glow was visible even through the thick trees and bushes of the forest, and it was more than a welcoming sight.

 

At the moment Mai was turned to some sort of curtain; obviously she'd already set up the shower using a portable change-room of sorts, and only needed one thing.

 

Namely what he had in his hands. As Honda moved over to the fire to give Bakura the pot and bucket of water, Katsuya handed Mai the shower bag. The woman took it, smirking as she looked the bag over. "I'm almost surprised," she began, before moving to hook the bag up to a pole above the curtain. From inside, Anzu's hand could be seen grabbing for it, Mai turning back to face Katsuya as she continued. "For a moment I thought you would have poked a hole in it just to spite me!" As Katsuya merely snorted and took a seat on the side, she caught a look from where Honda was sitting. Namely the slight stare that he seemed to continuously be sending over towards the curtain. "Don't you even think about it," she shouted, Yugi as well blushing and ducking down to pay attention to the meal Bakura was preparing. "I see anyone even glance this way they're not eating a thing tonight, got it?"

 

Katsuya leaned back against the tree he was by, rolling his eyes. Yeah yeah, like he wanted to spy on Anzu anyways... She'd probably kick his ass for it in the end, regardless of a fight! She didn't look it, but she had a mean right hook. There was a reason why he and Honda used to call her 'Mazaki'.

 

As Mai continued to level a look to him, he averted his gaze. Suck it up, suck it up... God this was annoying, he thought with a growl. It didn't really help when Mai moved to take a seat beside him, resulting in a raised eyebrow on his part. "Nh? What're you doin', weren't you helpin' Anzu with the shower?" Or at least somewhere away from him? Maybe?

 

She laughed, shaking her head. "Anzu-chan knows how to use it, trust me... And I'm more than capable of making sure she gets to shower in peace from here," she added with narrowed eyes. The woman seemed rather surprised at the dismissive shrug she got in response however, and frowned before leaning in to him. "I don't get you at all," she finally said with crossed arms, watching as the blond gave her a look that said 'Oh really now?' while attempting to edge away. She continued to frown, leaning against the tree before speaking again. "Loud moron like you, I would think you'd be ogling anything with breasts!" Hey, he took offense...

 

(...Though as soon as he could, he was getting some porn tapes when he got back, and testing this theory, because between this and Honda's conversation he was getting self conscious about it dammit.)

 

"Instead," the woman continued, snapping him from his thoughts. "You're acting almost as though you're handcuffed to a completely different person..." Her voice had been kept low as she spoke, preventing anyone else from hearing. It helped of course that the water from the shower-bag was pouring on the ground now though...

 

Katsuya coughed, before turning on the woman. "Ah wait... You're questioning my love life," he asked with a laugh. "What, creepin' me out with yer cards wasn't enough?" Stop following him please..?

 

"Well," she said with a smirk. "You certainly don't give the reaction I would normally expect from someone your age..." Someone his age..? Granted she probably had a point there. Few months ago and... Well...

 

Idly, Katsuya fingered the empty key-box around his neck as he thought back to a certain someone comatose on a bed. What was wrong with him, honestly...

 

Even he knew that wouldn't go anywhere, coma or not! He blinked as he realized Mai was looking at his key-box, frowning as the woman continued to stare. "Oh," she said, an innocent tone of curiosity in her voice as she pointed at the object, "Now what's that..?"

 

He coughed, looking at the pendant before answering the woman with a shrug. Not like she needed to know about his private life... "Eh... Jus' a box I got... Nothin' in it, if that's what you're after..." He narrowed his eyes, while Mai merely snorted in response.

 

"Please," the woman said, shaking her head. "I don't need a key that doesn't exist." How did she know it was- Right. Outline on the box. Looking at it even in the light of the campfire, the shape of a key was fairly prominently visible. Mai's expression softened, and she looked up at the sky with what seemed to be a pout. "Besides... It was just a question! No need to get so defensive about it! Unless..." She smirked, before looking in with an odd stare in her eyes. "Hnnn..." The stare continued, beginning to give Katsuya a very nervous feeling. "Maybe you really are chained up, neh, 'little boy'! Hnhnhnhnhn!" Ignoring the growl she was receiving in response to that, she continued to smirk and gave Katsuya a suggestive wink. "Anything to do with this 'Seto-chan' you mentioned in our duel perhaps..?" Hang on what!

 

He froze, sputtering slightly slightly as he turned a minor shade of pink. Screw everything else she said, how did she know... He didn't remember saying anything during the duel about her, except when he was... Shit... Ahhh hell, what kind of hearing did she have! "W-Where..." He shook his head, frowning. No he knew where... At the duel box, when he'd been muttering to himself! "Y' heard that!?"

 

For a brief moment, Bakura turned from where he was tossing in chopped carrots to the stew he was making. Ack- Had he heard the last part..? Katsuya bit his tongue, watching the teen turned away before he continued. Well. Not like she knew who 'Seto-chan' was. Might as well play it cool, keep her from mentioning the name again...

 

"Tch... She might be on my list of people t' get starchips for, but that certainly ain't the reason, I can tell yah that!" Besides, as soon as she woke up all of those ideas would fly out the window, because the chances of dating someone with her attitude were less than an ice-cube in a volcano. Or perhaps the sun.

 

Mai chuckled, shaking her head. "Whatever..." She stood up, the water in the shower having stopped for the moment. Looked like Anzu was done then. "I'm going to take a shower now..." The woman gave him a wink, and he frowned as Mai continued. Hihhhh... She was really getting a kick out of this wasn't she! "Given your 'apparent' lack of interest in anyone else, I think I can trust you not to look. But if you do," she added with a glare, crossing her arms again. "You can kiss your food good-bye!" Tch!

 

Suck it up, suck it up... He waved her off, shaking his head. "Yeah yeah, whatever..." Don't look... Sheesh! He was going to make sure he was as far away from that shower as possible! Walking back over to the others at the fire, he blinked as Yugi stood up to move towards him. "Eh, Yugi..?"

 

The boy smiled, looking up at him with a fairly questioning stare as he came over. "I was wondering," he said quietly, stopping about a foot away from the blond. "Earlier, the other me asked to talk to you about the duel with the ventriloquist..." The ventriloquist... Ah, that was right! He'd forgotten about that. After his duel with Rex, he'd been so completely lost in the cheer of getting the card and starchips that they'd ended up moving on to look for more duelists. Yugi had probably just been polite and not said anything... "Actually," he continued, pulling the teen from his thoughts. "I was wondering if I could talk to you instead. It's bugging me too, and really, we both have the same question so..."

 

He blinked, before nodding with a smile. Hey if it was the same question then there were no problems with that now were there? "Well sure! What is it Yugi?" The boy shook his head, and he frowned. "Hn?" What did he mean 'no'..?

 

"Not here," Yugi said, smiling nervously. For the moment, Bakura and Honda were thankfully too distracted by the cooking stew to pay attention to what he was saying, and after looking at the ground a moment, he turned to the woods. "Over there- is that ok with you, Jonouchi-kun?" Err...

 

He scratched his cheek, before nodding. "Yeah... 'S fine... But why do we have t' go somewhere else?" And why the woods? At night? Seriously, he was getting shivers down his spine already...

 

The boy smiled, rubbing the back of his head. "Erm... You'll see!" Er... He'd see? Man, whatever it was he was keeping it under wraps...

 

Yugi turned to walk off into the woods, Katsuya following behind with his hands in his pockets. For a few moments he found himself distracted by the rest of the woods. It was pretty damn creepy in here... If it was dark before, at 9 in the morning during Yugi's duel against Haga, it was pitch black at this point. Any light that made it through the trees did little more than add a ghostly silhouette to any reflective surfaces in the area, creating a particularly haunting appearance for Yugi in his opinion. He looked around, swallowing before regaining his composure. Right...

 

Not like there were any axe-murderers around after all. "So... Yugi!" He turned to his friend, smiling despite the overall atmosphere of the area. "Yah wanted t' ask somethin?"

 

Yugi nodded, taking a seat on a log and watching as Katsuya did the same. "Yeah... Um..." He frowned, fingering his puzzle as they fell silent. Whatever he wanted to say didn't appear to be coming out that easily. Just what was it he wanted to talk about anyways? "I was wondering... Earlier, when you mentioned the girl with the 'Se' and 'Hito' kanji for her name..."

 

"Nyh?" The blond blinked, staring at his friend a moment. "You mean S... Kaseri-chan?" Kaseri really didn't sound right... Though he'd decided it a while before, it was better to keep the 'proper name' under-wraps. Besides, it being an option Yugi hadn't even considered would lend to the validity.

 

To that end the boy blinked, raising an eyebrow. "Oh... You... Found out her name then?" He coughed, nodding as he stared awkwardly at the ground. Weird, almost like he knew the name didn't fit either... "Erm... In the duel box," he began, frowning slightly as he shuffled his feet, "When the other me was fighting against the ventriloquist... I heard... Rather... I saw someone." Before Katsuya could do anything more than frown with slightly wider than normal eyes, the boy continued. "When the Blue-Eyes White Dragon disappeared, I saw a little girl..." A.. Wait, a little girl? What the hell did that have to do with Blue Eyes?

 

Briefly, he recalled the bizarre 'near death experience' he'd had during Bakura's hellish 'Monster World' game; back then, around that time he too had seen someone...

 

' _You!_ ' That time...

 

Katsuya swallowed, before speaking. It couldn't be... "A lil' girl?" He coughed, attempting to laugh a bit. It sounded rather fake, but nonetheless. "Haha! Ha! Must've been the fish... Heck, I'm th' only one with a sister, an she's a lil bit old t' be called 'little'! Y' must have been seein' things!" He had to!

 

His faltering laugh was cut off as Yugi turned to him, expression fairly severe. "Jonouchi-kun," he began, hands still on his puzzle. The boy looked up with non-faltering eyes, and he continued. "It's true we didn't know her when she was small but... For the next few seconds after she appeared, she changed..." Changed..? His frown increased, mouth held partially open as he hesitated to say something. What did he mean change? "Jonouchi-kun," Yugi continued, placing his hands on the log beside him. "The little girl... In the end, she looked exactly like Kaiba-kun did... During out Death-T match."

 

He drew back, eyes wide. What... Briefly, he recalled that moment in the duel. The split second where for a moment, he swore that he'd seen Kaiba standing right in front of him with a legitimate smile on her face. He'd passed it off... It was a split second after all, and just as quick as he'd seen her she was gone. But... "You... Y' saw S... Y' saw Kaiba..?" He turned away, rather pale for the moment. Shit... What did he say..? His best friend had more or less said 'I know what you know,' but left it up to him to either cover it up or admit the truth..! "I..."

 

"Jonouchi-kun... ...I... I know you're probably not supposed to say anything," the boy said as he kicked at the ground and turned his head away nervously. "But I have to ask... You said all those things before, about a girl who acted like Kaiba-kun, and had the same written name..." He turned back, hesitating slightly before continuing on. "So I have to ask Jonouchi-kun, if this girl and Kaiba-kun are maybe... Well..." Yugi coughed, smiling nervously. "Are they maybe... The same person?"

 

Katsuya blinked, staring with the same frozen expression he had when Yugi had mentioned Kaiba's name. His friend continued to stare, faltering just slightly when it looked like he wouldn't answer. Yugi... There was no way that seeing Kaiba in there was a fluke of indigestion right? Not in that way. And... The disappearance of Blue-Eyes and all that... He closed his still open mouth, mentally nodding to himself. He couldn't just say 'no' after that. They'd both know it was a lie, and he wouldn't live with lying over something like this.

 

Besides, he decided as he mentally nodded. If she herself had really been there, for some reason or another... Then maybe that meant, even on an unspoken level, that just maybe she had a bit of trust in Yugi. "...Yeah," he said finally, slightly pink in the face as he turned to look at a tree in front of him. "Yeah... S...She is..." He rubbed the back of his head, before coughing slightly. "It... It's a long story but... 'S kinda why I got hired actually," he said with a slight laugh before drawing off. Erm... This was kinda awkward. Kaiba was already a rough subject for Yugi really, so he wasn't sure what to say. Not to mention, what he could and couldn't say after the secret was out... "So... ah..."

 

They fell silent again, neither of them really sure what should be said next. In the end however it was Yugi who spoke first, turning to his friend with a wide smile. "Well... Either way, what I said at

Burger World doesn't change!" What he said at- Katsuya blinked, remembering the boy's words back then. ' _Whoever it is,_ ' "I'm happy for you, Jonouchi-kun! I don't really know how this will work," he continued nervously, laughing quietly. "But... I'm still happy."

 

He laughed, unable to keep a grin on his face. "Ahahahah! That would come t' mind f'r you after this kind of secret comes up, wouldn' it!" Honestly, he didn't know how this would work out himself... Probably fail horribly in the end, because of something stupid he did. He'd sure as hell try anything he could think of first though! (Not sure if that would help but...) Still grinning, the expression faded just slightly as he turned to stare at the trees again. "Yugi..." The teen swallowed nervously, looking back at him worriedly. "Lis'n... I... I know tha' Se-... Kaiba did all that stuff t' your Grandpa and everyone else..." Hell, him included, looking at the original battle plan for Death-T! "But..."

 

He gave a wry smile, unsure of what his friend was going to say on it all. He said he was happy for him, and he didn't doubt it but...

 

Well, the short-lived rivalry had ended on a more than sour note. "I dunno if it's 'cause I haven't actually seen how much of a bitch she can be for th' past few months or what, but I can't really hate her right now..." He just couldn't. Not after spending all that time with Mokuba, listening to the kid talk about all the good things he knew. He couldn't.

 

The boy stared, before nodding with a smile. "It's fine," he said, grinning. "The other me's penalty game won't fail! She'll wake up better than ever, ok? What's done is done," Yugi continued with a nod. "When Kaiba-ku... Ah... Kaiba-san," he corrected, Katsuya snorting at the quick change over, "Gets up... It won't matter, ok?" Well... If he said so! "Until then, we'll both keep this secret!"

 

"Right!"

 

Nodding, the two stood up as chatter began cropping out from outside of the woods. It was difficult to really tell what they were saying, but it sounded along the lines of 'smells good...' and 'is it ready yet..?' Katsuya turned, blinking at the sounds before smirking. "Well," he began, grinning again as Yugi made for the clearing. "She better not be too much 'better', or I'll have t' apologize t' Mokuba for givin' him a new sister!" The pair laughed simultaneously at that comment, before Katsuya softened the grin to a more serious smile and continued. "Hey Yugi," he said, watching his friend turn back for a moment. He could have easily said something to the others. But that wasn't him. That wasn't his friend. This kind of secret... Even though he'd failed to keep it, accidentally dropping hints and all, he knew that it was still completely safe. Their secret... And Mokuba's too, once they got him out! "...Thanks." For all that hadn't been said, there wasn't anything else to say really. In the end despite things, he felt a lot better than he had before they had that talk. "...F'r everything."

 

A large smile was all he got in response before a shout came from the clearing. "IT'S READY ," Bakura was shouting, Katsuya's stomach giving a fairly loud growl in response to that. Come to think, he smelled something really good... "TIME TO EAT!" Really good...

 

The two came through the trees, Katsuya practically drooling as he spotted the food being dished out among the group. "Woaaahhhh..." He grinned, charging forwards to grab a bowl on the side and take a seat. "It looks great!" Turnip, chicken, onions... Ohhh it smelled delicious...

 

Bakura merely smiled calmly, pouring some of the stew into Yugi's bowl before moving on to Katsuya. So far Anzu and the others already had bowls, the woman watching with a frown as Honda essentially drowned himself in his own meal. "Thank you," the teen said quietly, before dishing himself a bowl. "But really, it isn't much..."

 

As Anzu grabbed a spoon with a 'bon appetit!', Yugi shook his head. He'd already taken a spoon himself to taste the dish, and given the wide smile, the smells were no lie. "No really! It's amazing Bakura! You did a good job!" A really good job, Katsuya noted as he took a bite of his own. Mmmmm...

 

From the side, Mai smiled at the conversation cropping up. Grabbing herself a spoon, she turned to the boys with a wink and sat down again. "Better eat up," she began, crossing her legs as she started on her own bowl. "You'll need it for when the duels start up again in the morning~!"

 

Honda instantly gave a salute, a red-faced grin set in place. Despite the fact that he'd obviously already moved on those words (His bowl was half full), he nodded. "Hah! Yes Ma'am!"

 

Beside him, Katsuya looked at him incredulously. "What the hell Honda, you aren't even a duelist!" He'd better not ask for seconds, he was starving!

 

"I can still eat!"

 

"That ain't the point!" As the pair began bickering yet again, laughter surrounded the clearing. All in all the evening was taking a turn to the positive side, if not the loud one. It took a bit to quiet down after, but given the state of hunger everyone was in it didn't take long for silence to settle and become replaced by slurps and clattering dishes. In the end, when Bakura was handing out seconds, Yugi ended up turning to Mai with a light smile.

 

"That reminds me Mai," he said, the woman blinking as she was addressed. He looked at her glove for a split second, before continuing. "You already have 8 star chips don't you?" The others turned, noting that the number around her wrist had in fact not changed one bit. Looked as though she'd had just as much luck as they in finding more duelists. "You might be the first to reach the castle tomorrow!"

 

Hoh... That was right... Not bad actually. (Though he wished it was one of them instead...) The woman merely smirked, before nodding. "Ah, maybe... But Yugi," she added, turning to him with a fierce stare. The boy seemed to jump under it, listening as Mai continued. "Eventually, I'll fight you as well, understand?"

 

An awkward silence fell over the group, and Anzu laughed. "Ah... Hey, can we forget the dueling for now..?" As Bakura nodded in agreement to that, Mai shrugged and shook her head.

 

"No," she said rather bluntly, before eating some more of her stew. "We might have called a truce for now," the woman continued, looking up from her bowl. "But in the morning, everyone's an enemy! That's what it means to be a duelist!" Katsuya and Yugi found themselves staring at the woman in silence as she downed the rest of the stew and got up to turn to Bakura. "Thanks for cooking the food," she said, before grabbing her bag and turning away to a tent she'd set up before. "I'm heading back to my tent now though. Anzu-chan, if you want, you can bunk with me~." As Anzu in question blinked at the offer, Mai merely winked. "You never know what could happen with all these guys around!"

 

As she said that, Katsuya bristled. "OI! What was that!" Mai merely chuckled in response, disappearing into tent a fair distance off. "Jeez..." He shook his head, before downing the last bit of his own food to help Bakura clean up. "What an annoying woman, honestly..."

 

'You never know what could happen', they weren't going to do anything! ...Well... He couldn't actually speak for Honda really but still... Honda wasn't stupid enough to try it he was pretty sure.

 

Cleaning things up didn't take too long; soon enough, everything was packed up to the side while the boys essentially collapsed on the ground by a tree. Bakura looked at his watch as they set up their own 'camp', the ground thankfully being dry enough that sleeping without a tent or sleeping bag wouldn't be an issue. "Hn... Ten o'clock," he muttered, before pulling a sweater from his bag to use as a pillow. Ten eh? Not bad... Back home, he'd be going to sleep in an hour or so probably. Though he'd be in a bed at the time...

 

Thankfully for them, thanks to the temperature differences between the island (WARM) and Tokyo (Crisp and Cold), they still had their jackets and things to lay on. The teen turned to them all as they attempted to get comfortable, a faded light from the tent visible in the distance.

 

"We should probably get to sleep now..."

 

Katsuya nodded, yawning loudly as he collapsed on his back against the tree. "Hwaa! Got that right... I'm so stuffed that I could sleep for days..." That would be bad though, so he'd just trust in the others to wake him up in the morning... As it was thanks to the combination of the food and temperature, sleeping out under the stars was more a bonus than a pain. Giving another yawn, he watched as Yugi pulled out the camera from his bag to move away from the group. "Ah... Yugi?"

 

The boy turned, before smiling. "Just going to talk to Grandpa a bit," he whispered, looking over at the tent briefly. "I don't want too many people to know... I trust Mai, but it's just... I don't want this affecting any duels we have against each other..." Ahhh...

 

Well, no worries in that case. Deciding not to do more than nod, Katsuya leaned back against the tree and stretched. Yugi's grandpa... He and Mokuba both had their lives literally on the line at the moment. The teen frowned, chewing his lip as he thought over the events of the day. Mokuba... He'd been right within his reach, and he hadn't been able to get him back. And now, he was reliant on Pegasus' tournament once again.

 

Four starchips. If he lost even once tomorrow, there was a good chance he wouldn't gather the remaining needed to fill his glove in time. And when that happened... Mokuba...

 

His frown deepened, the thoughts continuing to stab at his brain. If he didn't make it there... What would Pegasus do to him? Hell, what would he do to him for running off, there was a lot that could happen, and he wouldn't know a thing... It scared him. The same as when Yugi had been strung up on a hook like a gutted fish by Hirutani's gang, left to gasp for air with wide and almost hopeless eyes. It scared him...

 

But at the same time, he couldn't do more about it. What would happen, he thought with a wide-eyed and nervous frown, if he didn't make it? If his last few duels had been won on chance, and nothing more? He shook his head, growling. He couldn't think like this... He couldn't! Yes, Mokuba's life was on the line... But if he just worried about it and didn't do anything, then he'd just end up making things worse! He gave yawn, rolling over. He needed to sleep...

 

Just forget about it and focus on the positive... Sleep...

 

All that food had him drowsy anyways, and in the morning he'd definitely win the star chips he needed. For now though...

 

"Hwaaaaah..."

 

...So sleepy...

 

... ... ...

 

* * *

 

It felt as though he'd only had his eyes closed for a second, but for the moment he had never felt a stronger urge to open them than ever before. Opening his eyes and staring upwards, Katsuya quickly pulled himself to his feet. Where...

 

Where was this place..? He looked around the thick fog with a frown, coughing as a few wisps of smoke blew past his face. Weird place. A mix of purples and blacks... Last he checked he was on the island, resting up to go after some more duels... Not to mention Pegasus. Not here. This place...

 

He continued to frown, shivering slightly as the mist continued to wrap around him. It was so dark here... An endless expanse of fog and clouds that created a mostly impenetrable curtain surrounding him. Almost as though there was nothing in existence. Hell he decided as he rubbed his arms absently, shivering from the cold, it was even worse than when he was in the 'Monster World', on his death bed. At least then, it was just dark. Even without the floor, just dark...

 

There had been warmth, and despite the silence and the fear he'd had at the time, he had at least been able to feel a small bit positive for a moment. But here... He looked down at the almost violet dirt ground, and then back and around at the endless black sky. It was like he'd been thrown into some nightmare plain, or a field in a horror movie. And it gave him shivers beyond even Shizuka's rendition of those plays at Obon, or any other zombie movie he'd seen in his life time.

 

_-Grrrrrrnnn...-_

 

"Hn..?" Katsuya blinked, turning slightly as a dull growl was heard behind him. There was nothing around him... Just swirling fog, endless and black. "What was that..." The teen whirled at the sound of another growl as what appeared to be a shadow arose through the fog. What the hell was that...

 

He squinted as he attempted to make it out, leaning forwards slightly with a frown. Growling... He heard nothing but growling, but why... "Grrrrr... RRA _OOOOOOOOOOO_!" He froze as the shadow began to clear, the fog and clouds moving out of the way as an enormous white dragon charged through. While still a fair distance away its size was rather evident, and Katsuya found himself looking towards it with stiff horror. "RAAAAAAOOO!" It hovered across him, blue eyes staring down with a menacing glint before snarling again. "RRRROOOOOOOOO!" Oh fuck...

 

OH FUCK... Oh god... Oh god o _h god_ this couldn't possibly be happening! The dragon came closer, lowering it's mighty head and snapping its jaws at the teen. With a startled shout that snapped him from his paralyzed fear, Katsuya leapt out of the way, eyes wide and face pale. "H-Hah!" He rolled to the side, watching in horror as the dragon turned its head towards him yet again. It landed, taking a step towards him and baring its teeth threateningly. "Shit..." Scrambling to his feet, he felt the heat of the 'burst stream' singe the ground behind him, only instilling more fear into him as he ran. "SHIT!"

 

Katsuya's feet scuffed across the ground as he ran, eyes wide and face pale as the dragon continued to roar. He could practically feel its breath on his back, the rumbling behind him sounding almost like a taunt as he panicked. "RAOOOOOOHHH!" Fuck fuck fuck! How the hell was this real!

 

Monsters didn't exist like this, and the only exception was on Bakura's weird-ass game board! And those were normal now! "Fuuuuck! Get away!" He stumbled as he ran, squeezing his eyes shut in his fear. Just go away... Go away... "Get away from me!" He charged blindly through the fog, swinging his arms as he ran. "Ghh... HAHH!" Teeth snapped at his heels, and Katsuya felt his feet catch something on the ground. "Gack!"

 

The ground came up to him at full force, dirt and grit grinding painfully into his face and hands. Blue Eyes came up before him to give another growl, and as the teen pulled himself up to sit and turn toward the beast, he found himself looking up with wide eyes. Was this it... Was this really it..? This had to be a dream... He couldn't die here... He didn't even know where the hell 'here' was, or if this crap was even real! And it couldn't be real...

 

It couldn't! After all, why would Blue-Eyes of all things be attacking him? This was... It was... "G...Ghn... D-Damn it..." The dragon lowered itself to the ground, taking a step forwards as a low growl filled the air. "Damn it..!" He shuffled back in a pathetic attempt to distance himself from the beast, only to tense as his back thumped against something. "What..?" Katsuya turned, frowning as he was met with a 'curtain' of fabric. Hang on...

 

What was this doing here... A curtain..? But there had been something solid beneath it, so that couldn't be it...

 

He slowly looked up, before jumping back in shock as the clouds above cleared. "S-S..." The teen's eyes widened further as he looked upwards, neck strained under the pressure. "Seto-chan!" Above him, the leering form of Seto Kaiba could be seen, wearing the same pyjamas he'd last seen her in. The woman had her arms crossed, face partially hidden in the shadows of the sky and her hair both. Even with this however, it was more than easy to tell she wasn't pleased, her eyes appearing to narrow further than they already had been after he shouted. "Gh... How did you... How are you..?"

 

It had to be a dream... It had to be, there was no way all of this was possible! The woman continued to leer down, her dragon also staring down without a 'word'. Finally she turned on him, lowering her arms to her sides with clenched fists. "You..." Her eyes narrowed, and she gritted her teeth. "Pathetic..." What...?

 

"Tch... Who are you calling pathetic," he barked, standing up with a scowl. It had to be a dream... And if that was the case, nothing could really hurt him here right? And besides, just what was she even comparing to him right now? The dragon? There wasn't anything else here, and he'd be damned if he let that happen! "Lets see you face off against your dragons, see how you fare!" Though given this was 'Giant!' Seto...

 

She could probably pick up the dragon in one hand. The woman scowled, eyes staring down at the teen with nothing but loathing. "You honestly think that's the reason for your weakness, MUTT?" At that last word he winced, gritting his teeth.

 

He quickly recovered however, instead continuing to shout out at the woman. "Well," he spat out, clenching his fists with a glare. "It's hard t' tell when y' beat around th' bush like that, 'KASERI'!" The teen growled, watching as Seto's enormous form merely narrowed her eyes further.

 

"Fool... MORON!" She crossed her arms, the shadows appearing to almost revolve around her. "My brother put his trust in YOUR care," she roared, Katsuya visibly growing pale at this. "He relied on YOU for protection, a mere hound!" The blond continued to shrink back at those words, while Seto in the meantime visibly became more enraged. "You're lower than just trash, MUTT... Even a loser like you should realize that!" Katsuya continued to stare upwards as she said this, gritting his teeth. That...

 

To bring that up... "I did... The best I could... To get Mokuba..." His jaw clenched, and the teen shook as he attempted to hold the glare. "I did all I could... I tried my best! And I'm still trying! Gh-" The dragon roared loudly at the feeble excuse, causing Katsuya to cringe yet again under Seto's shouts.

 

"The 'Best you can do'? Don't make me laugh! If that's the 'best you can do', then maybe you really are just a stray dog without a home! Because while you whine here mutt," the woman spat with a snarl, "You FAILED my brother! My BROTHER, who gave you EVERYTHING! Who entrusted you with the KEY, who gave you a JOB, and HOME! And while you sit here, sleeping peacefully as though nothing is wrong, he could very well be dead! You are NOTHING," Seto continued. "Nothing but a mongrel begging at the side of the streets! A failure by even the standards of a _MUTT_!"

 

'Make-inu!', she shouted at him, the words fading into the shadows. 'Make-inu'... 'Make-inu!' The shouts continued to whirl around him, and as he looked down at his hands he watched his jacket shift into a brown, furred costume. 'Make-inu!', Seto continued to shout, pointing at him accusingly. 'MAKE-INU!' He tried...

 

Damn it, he _tried_... "I'm sorry," he whispered out, fingers digging into the ground as he bowed his head. Mokuba was snatched off, but it was that or possibly everyone there would have died! He... There was no other way... There wasn't... "I'm so sorry..." Tears began to stream down his cheeks, the hood of the costume he was in falling over his eyes. "But please believe me," he forced out through his coughs, receiving no answer in response, head bowed even further down. "Believe me, when I tell you... That I will die... Before I let that happen to him..." Slowly, the blond lifted his head to look up at Seto, face red and hair stuck awkwardly to the sides of his cheeks. "You understand?" he forced out, raising his volume. He slowly pulled himself up to his knees, eyes shining with determination through the tears. "I know he's still alive... I know it! And no matter what, I hold by my promise..! I may be a 'make-inu'... A failure even by a dog's standards..." he bit out, stumbling to his feet even in the ridiculous costume he wore, "But at least this 'MUTT' knows what matters!" As he said this Seto merely glared down, eyes narrowed before she snorted. "Got that, 'KASERI'?"

 

"Hn! This dog still hasn't been trained," she muttered, arms still crossed as she glared down. "Even when disciplined, he still dares to bite back..." Abruptly, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon behind him vanished from sight, and as Katsuya turned to notice its absence with a wide eyed frown, the woman continued. "Jonouchi," she said loudly, tone both commanding and questioning at the same time. He turned as she spoke, looking up at the woman's still leering face. "Know this... When you feel true fear, you become so much of a loser that you don't even have the right to stand on two legs!" Katsuya gritted his teeth as the woman said this, only to frown when she continued. Wait...

 

There was more..?

 

"However..." However? That didn't sound like Seto... The woman above turned her back to him, speaking again. "Despite this fear, I will remember the promise you made, MUTT." The promise... "So I expect you, even when you cannot stand, to fulfill it! Until your last breath!"

 

As Seto turned her narrowed gaze back to him, he nodded. Alright... He got what she was saying now... "Yeah..." Regardless of how much of a bitch the woman was about this, she was right. He didn't like saying it... But she was! Maybe this was some fucked up way for his conscience to say ' _Get a grip you moron! You can do this!'_

 

Or hell, maybe this was some weird spiritual plane and this was where Seto's soul was. (That would really suck.) But either way..!

 

"...I'll keep my promise! Don't sweat it!"

 

The woman snorted, and the shadows clouded around his vision to bring everything to blackness. "Tch..."

 

_'I wasn't going to, Mutt..._ ' As the shadows continued to surround him, he thought he heard a shout of terror, and someone speaking...

 

* * *

 

" _PENALTY GAME_!" A wait wait...

 

What was that! Katsuya shot up as the loud shout came through the air, looking around as Honda and Bakura as well moved from where they'd been sleeping. "Hnn... What the hell..?" Did he just hear the other Yugi shouting? Why would he have switched out in the middle of the night? He turned to Bakura, frowning. "Man what time is it..?"

 

The teen rubbed his eyes with a yawn, looking down at his wrist. "Ah... Hwaaa... It's... It's only 11..."

 

Beside him, Honda stood up and stretched with a frown. "Great.. Well something obviously happened..." He as well yawned, before looking towards where the shout had come from with dull eyes. Wasn't that far away... Probably the next clearing over, Katsuya thought as Honda continued. "Might as well go check it out right..?"

 

He nodded, stretching as well before heading off. "Yeah, I guess... Wonder why Yugi's duelin' this late though... Not to mention who, I mean... There's no one else up this late, an' Mai called a truce..."

 

Though if she broke it, then good on Yugi for beating her. Not that she probably did that... Regardless of how much he trusted her she seemed pretty honest about that truce. Plus, he doubted that she'd have pulled something bad enough for the other Yugi to set a penalty on her; he seemed to be reserving those for the 'real' assholes lately. They came into another clearing, watching as Yugi handed something to the woman only for her to walk off. ' _It was nice meeting you guys_ ,' she was saying, walking off with a sad expression. Weird... Why would she try to leave without all her stuff...?

 

He frowned, watching as Yugi called after the woman right when they joined up with him. Anzu in the meantime, turned to them with wide eyes. "Ah... Jonouchi," the woman began, blinking. "Honda, Bakura... What are you three doing here..?" That would be the question...

 

The teen frowned, scratching his head with a yawn as he attempted to shake off the drowsiness. "Tch... Woke up after yer loud talking..." Or more specifically, Yugi's dramatic shout. Maybe it was some sort of requirement for the penalty, like it wouldn't work or something...

 

Mai stared at them all, looking at the ground with a small smile. "Hnhnhn... Again," she began quietly. Again? What did she mean again? "Why is it that you guys always have to gather up just like that..." She looked up at them all, and from behind the others, Honda coughed.

 

"Bakura," he began, his blush rather quickly ridding him of any sleepiness he had. "It's just about 11 right?" At the nod he got in response, he smirked. "Then for one more hour," he continued, looking back at Mai, "You're our friend!" As the woman gave him a blank 'eh..?' look, he winked. "While we were eating, you said 'We're enemies tomorrow', didn't you?" That was true, she did... And it figured that Honda would be the one to take advantage of that, not that he blamed him. Honda chuckled, hands in his pockets as he continued. "Well, it's not tomorrow for another hour! which means that right now, we're not enemies... We're friends, got that?"

 

The woman blinked, staring at them all with wide eyes while the others nodded. "Mai," Yugi began, Katsuya idly noting that it was the 'other Yugi'; given the dead/soulless looking guy in the duel box, he had a feeling he knew what he heard earlier... (Was that a noose attached to his wrist?) "We duelists are here on this island to fight fair and square... But there are people here who are trying to prevent us from doing that!" There were..? "Pegasus' 'Player Killers'!"

 

At this, Katsuya looked back at the duel box with somewhat wide eyes. Oh... Uh...

 

That explained it he guessed. He briefly thought back to the ventriloquist, wondering if he had been another of those 'player killers'. Huh... "I don't recognize those men as duelists," Yugi continued, Mai merely looking at him with a slightly confused frown. "I don't want them to ruin our battle... So I want you to take these star chips," he shouted, handing over a handful. "And allow the events of tomorrow to decide who is the strongest duelist!" Eight star chips...

 

"Mai," Anzu was saying, Katsuya looking at the woman's empty duel glove. Mai had lost again... "Didn't you say that your dream was to fight Yugi?" The woman shook slightly, still frowning.

 

"I... ...That is..." She stared at the star chips, turning her head away. "...I..." Katsuya stared, frowning slightly. Shallow reasoning or not, seeing Mai like this was bugging even him! Shaking his head, he sighed. Alright...

 

There was one sure-fire way to fix this! (And if it didn't work, he wouldn't have to worry about tomorrow at all.) "MAN," he shouted loudly, the others turning to him with raised eyebrows. "We aren't getting anywhere with this!" He smirked, crossing his arms. "So... I have the perfect solution!"

 

Beside him, Anzu blinked. "A solution..." As Katsuya laughed quietly with a grin, she frowned. "...Jonouchi," she said with narrowed eyes. "What is it..."

 

He grinned, moving over to Yugi. "That's easy," he said, his friend raising an eyebrow before jumping as the blond snatched the pile of starchips from him. "Neither of you want 'em, so I'll take them instead! AHAHAH! Everything's fixed!" He beamed, fist tightly clenched around the starchips. Yugi stared at him incredulously, and the blond continued to laugh. "YES~ Now I have ten starchips! I get to be the first one to go t' Pegasus' castle!"

 

As he continued to laugh (Completely forgetting the initial reasoning behind the plan in lieu of possibly getting Mokuba out), Mai began to seethe across from him. "Y-You... _NOW WAIT JUST A MINUTE_ ," she screeched, the laughter halting instantly. Right... This was supposed to be a bluff. Uh..! ...Well, he was still bluffing, wasn't he? "You're doing no such thing Jonouchi!" At the smirk she got in response, she continued to growl. "Hand them over, right now! You m-" She blinked as the teen held out his hand, waiting for Mai to do the same. "A-Ah..?"

 

"Sheesh," he muttered, rolling his eyes with a smirk. "There you go, all of them!" Katsuya dropped the chips in her hand, continuing to smile as Mai stared. "If your pride is too much to allow you to play with those starchips," he began, putting his hands back in his pockets while the woman held her starchips. "Then throw them into the sea for all I care!" As the woman continued to stare, along with the others, he continued. "It's your choice after all... But as for myself, I won't throw them away! Not the starchips... Nor my dream!" His promise...

 

Watching as the woman continued to frown rather oddly (Almost as though fighting off a pang of jealousy rather than rage oddly enough), he shrugged. Whatever. Up to her really, but he knew he wouldn't have stomached just taking those star chips. If Mai left the island in the morning, then throwing them into the ocean would be as good as what would happen. He moved to return to the clearing with a wave, yawning again as he remembered just how late it was.

 

"Anyways... So long, Kujaku Mai," the teen shouted as he disappeared through the bushes. "I'm going to sleep!" And personally, that was probably all he wanted right at that moment, aside from the obvious, he told himself as he lay back down against the tree. Just a good long night's sleep, so he could make it through another day of dueling with no hard feelings by the end of it.

 

Just needed to sleep... Eyes fluttering shut, he gave one last loud yawn before doing so.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yet another pun appears within this chapter- and will likely continue to appear. In Japanese, one of the terms used to call someone a loser is 'make-inu'; while it doesn't mean 'dog' in the context of the word, the pun will often be accompanied by them in media regardless. (Make-Inu, notably, means 'losing dog' when literally translated)


	7. A Storm in the Kingdom

 

Many hours now had passed since the announcement of the tournament start. Though those remaining did not know the specific number of duelists remaining in the competition, there were certainly those who did. And those 'certain people' currently stood, or in one of the cases sat, inside the lavish castle at that very moment. It was an odd scene; to those first coming in, one would think that Pegasus was entertaining a sole guest, a young boy with a meal, or at least a 'midnight snack'. However upon closer a closer look, one could see that this was not the case.

 

There was only one person eating at the moment, and that was the middle-aged man sitting at the end of the table. He held a wine glass lightly with one hand, the other flipping pages to a comic book as he laughed. "Ahahahhaaa! Ohhh, my dear Funny Rabbit," he cried, apparently to himself. The boy to the side gave no answer after all, merely staring listlessly at the wall across from him. Pegasus placed his wine glass on the table, wiping his eyes slightly. "Oh... How droll and witty can you be?" Still no answer, and yet this seemed to have little effect on the man. He took a sip of the wine, leaning back on his chair with a content sigh. "The finest Amarone wine... Well-aged Gorgonzola cheese..." The man continued to chuckle, taking another light sip of his wine as footsteps as he spoke. "And the worlds best comic from my homeland, 'Funny Rabbit!' Truly I am blessed among men... Wouldn't you say Crocketts," he added, turning as his assistant coughed from behind.

 

"Indeed Pegasus-sama," he said curtly. From behind the shades, it was impossible to see what he was looking at; with the Millennium Eye however, Pegasus could tell that he was taking glances at the boy beside him. It was unnerving, or so the aged man thought behind that impassive and 'professional' expression. That a young boy who caused all the trouble from earlier would now appear so 'dead'.

 

Pegasus turned back to his book, taking a small bite of cheese before he spoke. "I'm glad that you agree... But I must ask, why do you feel the need to interrupt such a peaceful moment for me?" The book was placed on the table, and he continued. "These moments are rather personal, or have you forgotten that?" The tone of his voice at the last comment seemed cold, almost unforgiving.

 

In response to it Crocketts visibly paled, bowing his head. "Of course, Pegasus-sama... Please, forgive me."

 

The man smiled, shaking his head. "It's fine..." He stood, turning to the assistant with a slight smile. "Now, just what is the problem?" Although he was able to tell a split second before the man told him, the words were still rather upsetting.

 

"We received a message from the Kaiba residence," Crocketts began nervously. "From the maid we had posted in the building. Though she was unable to get too far into the circle of employees to dabble in Seto Kaiba's more... Personal affairs," he continued, hesitating slightly for just a moment, "She was close enough to feed us information from those who were. She sent us a message a few hours ago, Pegasus-sama..."

 

He frowned, still holding his glass of wine and swirling it absently. "Then the reports are true..." A nod.

 

"Correct. Seto Kaiba it would seem, has woken up... He is coming to this island as we speak."

 

"Oh _no!~_ ~" The glass was placed on the table, Pegasus putting a hand to his forehead dramatically. "It can't be..!" He turned to him, eye narrowed slightly. "And what of his transport? We've done something about that haven't we..?" They had.

 

Crocketts gave a stiff nod, but it was in vain. A simple glance at his thoughts told him that there was still a chance... "We have two men 'accompanying' him by helicopter. However," the man continued with a nervous cough, "We lost contact a few minutes ago... Currently, as a storm was reported not far from their location, we are safely able to come to the conclusion that we're merely running into interference over the radios... However, the men found it prudent to bring this to your attention."

 

Interference... Pegasus nodded, turning back to the table for his wine. "I see... And what of the tournament," he asked with a more calm tone, taking his seat again to resume reading his comics. "What is the status of the duels?"

 

Crocketts pulled out a remote of sorts, activating a hidden projection board in the ceiling. The screen rolled down, before a map of the island came into view. "Currently," he began, text appearing on the screen, "It has been just over 14 hours since tournament start." A chart of sorts appeared at the side, and he continued. "Out of the 42 total participants, only 12 remain... However," he added, a slight expression of discomfort on his face, "Two of the 'Player Killers' hired, 'Darkness' and 'Death', have both been found dead."

 

Pegasus' eyebrows raised, but the man did not turn from where he sat. "Killed," he asked, voice devoid of the usual camp and playful tone it ordinarily held. "How so?"

 

"Both player killers were last challenged by competitor Mutou Yugi," Crocketts stated, clicking a button on the remote. "The first to be found, 'Death', was alive for two hours after defeat. He was taken back to the castle to await medical attention. However," he continued, grimacing despite himself. "Regardless of any medications given, heart rate continued to increase, eventually dropping to a complete stop."

 

He had been there when it happened, from what Pegasus' eye could tell him. And even this chilled him; the image of the Ventriloquist's screams came into his mind, the man clearly horrified as he attempted to escape something. His heart rate had jacked up to impossible numbers before finally giving in, flat-lining and giving the man the relief he needed. That was the first then...

 

And if his suspicions were correct it meant that the host of the Millennium Puzzle, that 'dear' Yugi-boy, had far more control over its power than he thought. "And what of 'Darkness'?" he asked, head turned so that his golden eye might pick up on any thoughts hidden from him.

 

His assistant stared, swallowing nervously before continuing. "His body was found ten minutes ago in the second of the Forest Duel-Boxes- His neck was snapped, however according to medics on staff this was not the cause of death. Rather," he stated, forcing himself to keep professional about things, "After the neck was snapped he suffocated for reasons currently unavailable to us."

 

The CEO's eye narrowed, and he nodded before turning away. "I see... Such a pity..." There was more that his assistant had not said however- thoughts that the man hoped to bring up in the morning, after a good night's rest. A pity indeed, that he would find out that five of his tournament participants had lost their lives from strangulation as well, each of them having dueled against the player killer- a now literal term it would seem- before hand. "...What is the status of our dear 'Yugi-boy'?" Pegasus finally said after a few moments of silence. "He simply must make it to the finals so he can get to my castle after all!"

 

There was another click from the remote behind him, the teen's photo and personal information appearing. The information scrolled across the side of the screen, Crocketts speaking as it moved. "Mutou Yugi has so far collected six starchips," he stated, regaining his professional composure. "He is currently still located in the Forest-Lake area, along with two other participating people and three others accompanying him." Six starchips...

 

He smiled. "Ahhh! Wonderful!" The news clearly cheered Pegasus, and as the American took another sip of wine, he smiled. "Be sure to keep a close eye on him, at all times, understand~ We need to make sure he makes it to this castle!" The smile grew, and Pegasus took another bite of cheese. "The participants accompanying him..." He turned back slightly to Crocketts, continuing. "Is one of them 'Jonouchi Katsuya' by any chance..?"

 

Upon the screen, Yugi's information vanished to be replaced with an employee file from KaibaCorp; Yugi's information had come from the highschool, and the photos had been slightly out-dated. The file however was updated regularly, and had proven to be far more informative than that of Jonouchi's school records. The image of the blond in partial 'uniform' for the security staff appeared, along with another scrolling wall of informational text. Ahh... And here was his 'key bearer'. The suit didn't quite fit him properly, Pegasus decided. Nonetheless. "Jonouchi Katsuya," Crocketts stated, "Has collected 4 starchips, having dueled twice so far."

 

"Only four?" Pegasus gave a false pout, shaking his head. "Oohhh... Terrible... If he isn't careful, he won't make it here..." The man smiled again, a dangerous glint appearing in his narrowed eye as he looked toward the soulless shell of Mokuba at his side. "Why, if he doesn't make it, just what will happen to Mokuba-boy..?" There was no answer, and from behind, Crocketts moved to send the projector back into the ceiling. "Oh well," Pegasus sighed. "I suppose that if that happens, we'll just have to find some other reason to keep him here..."

 

No sooner were these words spoken than a buzzing came through the air. Pegasus stood up, watching as a 'loading' screen came before him on the board to herald a web-cam call.

 

"Crocketts," he stated dismissively, standing up yet again to greet whoever was calling. "I believe it's time to take Mokuba to his room, wouldn't you say..?" The man gave a nervous nod, and Pegasus smiled. "Wonderful! Mokuba-boy," he stated, turning his eye on the soulless body. To Crocketts silent shock, the boy answered, turning his head with the same blank and empty stare. "Follow Crocketts and do as he says, understand..?" The boy merely stared, before moving from his chair to walk towards Crocketts. Pegasus looked to his assistant as the words 'Establishing Connection' appeared behind him on the screen. "Make sure he gets right to bed, understand~ Tomorrow is a special day after all..." His tone grew rather dangerous at the end again, and Crocketts nodded. As the two left rather quickly, the image of five men, all seated at a single table appeared in the background. "Now then," Pegasus stated, swirling his wine glass again before turning to face KaibaCorp's board of directors.

 

"Pegasus-san," the one in the center stated, the CEO recognizing him as the late Gozaburo's assistant Daimon. "Good to see we didn't have to wake you up."

 

Beside him, another of the board frowned, expression mirrored by those around the table. "I assume you heard about Seto Kaiba's recovery," Ootaki stated roughly, watching as Pegasus returned the statement with a narrowed eye.

 

"I have," Pegasus answered, watching as the board muttered among themselves.

 

"If this recovery is truly not a hoax," Ooka was muttering, "Then the plan will need to be revised..."

 

Across from him, Oshita shook his head. "No," he stated with a scowl. "There is no turning back now... We've dug ourselves in too deep to even think of fooling that insolent child..."

 

The fifth of the group, Ota, crossed his arms as his scowl deepened. "Shit," he muttered under his breath. "That Seto just won't die..!"

 

"Gentlemen~," Pegasus stated calmly, interrupting the group's mutterings. "'Big 5'... There is absolutely nothing to worry about!" At the questioning stares from the board, he continued. "There won't be any problems... After all, the second I defeat Yugi, our contract will be fulfilled... Kaiba Corporation will become 'ours'," the man stated with a smile. "And, well... He will never make it to this island... Something has already been done about that!" As Pegasus chuckled, the board members stared.

 

Eventually, Daimon also began to join the man in his laugh, before speaking. "Heh eh heh... I see," he muttered, nodding. "You had better succeed with whatever it is being done Pegasus-san! After all," he began, the others gaining grim expressions in response. "So long as that boy lives our lives are at risk... All of us," he added, emphasizing the 'all'. Watching as Pegasus merely stared at the screen, he continued. "We will speak with you again Pegasus-san..."

 

With that, the screen blacked out, leaving the CEO to frown. "Hn..." Seto Kaiba... Alive, really... The man walked out to one of the many balconies in his castle, still sipping his wine. "Seto Kaiba," he muttered, eyes narrowed. "Go back to Hell where you belong..."

 

* * *

 

"AAAAUUGGH!"

 

Katsuya jumped as a scream pierced the air beside him, rubbing his head with a growl. "Agggghh..." The sky of course, was just as black and empty as before, save the millions of stars twinkling above. Such a view would never be visible from the homes in Tokyo... But right now, he just wasn't in the mood to think of that. He turned on the source of the scream, who was currently shouting with enough volume to wake up the dead... Or possibly the comatose. "Damn it Honda!" He scowled as the others woke up as well, a bleary 'It's only 11:30...' coming from Bakura. "What's wrong with you!"

 

With luck, the girls wouldn't wake up either at least. The teen in question was currently shuffling as far away from a serpentine looking object on the ground, his face pale as he shouted. "Hihhh! S-S-SNAKE!"

 

Beside the him, Yugi jumped as well. "E-EH! Snake?!" Oh come on, were they honestly that... Honda gave a shuddered nod, clutching the trunk of one of the trees near by. It was kind of weird, seeing Honda like this... This was the first time he'd seen him so worked up about something normal as opposed to completely bizarre.

 

Like say being turned into a figurine (He thought that would count). Instead...

 

"Hahhhh...!" He gave another shudder, while Yugi and Katsuya both moved over to see the long object on the ground. "I hate snakes... And reptiles... And anything else with slippery skin!" Remind him not to take the guy to an aquarium then...

 

That or bring him there blindfolded and drop him in the whale-shark tank. Picking up the object in question, Yugi raised an eyebrow. "Erm... Honda-kun," he began, holding the vine in the teen's face. "Is this the snake you're talking about?"

 

"Sheesh..." Katsuya snorted, moving back to where he'd been laying down. Honestly, getting all worked up for nothing... He'd be rubbing this in his face tomorrow, that was for sure. "It's just a vine from a tree, what's th' matter with you..."

 

Honda blinked, turning to Yugi with a blank expression on his face. "...Eh... a vine..?" As he was reassured by Yugi that yes, it was indeed a vine, Katsuya growled.

 

Man, he'd just gotten to sleep and everything... "Agggghh... Wimp, screaming just because of a vine, honestly..." He leaned back against his jacket, grumbling as he made himself comfortable... Rolling over with the scowl still set in place, he gave a mock wave. "NIGHT!"

 

Who cared if that came out in a way that put Seto to shame, he wanted sleep! ...Needed sleep too! And sleep he did...

 

For about half an hour at least. "W-WUAAAAH!"

 

"AAAAUGH!" He jumped up, Yugi blinking in shock from beside him as Honda grumbled. "WHAT IS IT THIS TIME!" Ignoring the more volatile emotions running through his friend right now, Honda merely yawned and turned to the source of the scream; namely Bakura.

 

"What's wrong Bakura," he asked, watching as the teen turned his head from his bag.

 

"W-Well," he began, turning towards them, bag in hand as he coughed. "It's my ring, it's-"

 

"AAAAUUGH!"

 

"THE MILLENNIUM RING!"

 

The three jumped back, ignoring Bakura's blank and slightly worried stare. "Why th' hell did you bring it to th' island," Katsuya shouted, eyes wide. That thing! He brought that thing here!

 

Bakura blinked, still holding the device in one hand. Apparently the fact that he was holding a lethal weapon of soul-stealing destruction in his hands wasn't disturbing him. "Ah... It was still in my bag so..." He coughed, frowning slightly. "That isn't the point..."

 

Looking back at the ring, the others followed his gaze with a blank stares. Oh... One of the needles was... Wait, how was it doing that? "Ah..." Yugi blinked as he realized the prong in the middle held itself up on its own, pointing outward. Now that he thought about it, there was a slight glow there as well... Though he had a feeling the others didn't see it. "The needle is..."

 

There was a nod from Bakura, and the air seemed to become tense. Thick, heavy almost, as though the sky was silently rumbling in displeasure with them all. Katsuya swallowed as they stared at the ring, before its owner finally spoke, putting the grumbling noises he heard in the back of his mind. "I wonder what this means," he muttered, frowning just slightly. "I had a nervous feeling... So I looked into the bag to check on it." He swallowed, looking towards where it was pointing. "And then it did this... For some reason, it's pointing at Pegasus' castle..."

 

The three leaned over to look closer at the ring, Katsuya frowning. Now that was interesting... And creepy. More the latter really... "Huh... It is..." He looked over at the castle in question, before turning back to Bakura as the teen continued.

 

"That's not all," he stated with the same light frown from before. The ring seemed to shake slightly in his grip, the teen ignoring the odd 'behaviour' for the moment. "This isn't the first time it's done this. It happened once before," Bakura continued, turning to Yugi. "The day I transferred to Domino High, when I saw the puzzle!" Alright. That was just a little weird. Hang on, if it was doing that, why didn't they notice it at school...

 

Yugi blinked at that, while Katsuya frowned, pushing the thoughts back. There were five needles so... Really, one of them should still be pointing if it did it before... "Nh... But it ain't doing anything right now..."

 

He laughed lightly, nodding. "Well, it doesn't react any more..." Oh. Well that made sense he guessed.

 

"Hnn..." Yugi frowned crossing his arms at that with a sigh. "Then maybe... The millennium ring is like a dowsing rod..." A dowsing rod eh... Well, if it was meant to point out the unknown location of things...

 

Katsuya continued to stare, scratching his head with a sigh. "Man," he muttered under his breath. "Things get weirder an' weirder..."

 

"I don't get it," Honda was muttering with a frown. No one really cared to answer that however, and instead Bakura nodded in response to Yugi's statement.

 

"I think it's reacting to Pegasus' eye," he began with a slight frown. "But I can't be sure myself... Listen, Yugi," he stated, the boy blinking in response. "I came to this island to help you and Jonouchi, but I had another reason as well." Katsuya stared, watching as the teen continued. "Somewhere on this island," he stated, a glint of determination clearly visible in his eyes, "Are clues to the mystery of the Millennium Items... Pegasus must know the secret! He has the millennium eye after all!" They stared, Yugi muttering something under his breath as their stares moved towards the castle in the distance. It was just barely visible, thanks to the light of the full moon. Even at the distance they were at, it was a sight to behold with wonder and possibly fear.

 

Not to mention hate, a lot.

 

In the end Yugi turned to Bakura with a worried smile. "Well... In any case, whatever you do, don't put that ring on, ok?"

 

Bakura nodded in response, stowing the ring back in his bag. "Don't worry," he said with a smile. "I won't; it would be dangerous otherwise!"

 

Katsuya scratched his head as the conversation continued, moving to go back to sleep. Sheeesh... This occult stuff was giving him the creeps, how the hell was he going to sleep with that ring here? He'd thought it was back in Bakura's house, or (He wished) maybe in a trash can.

 

"Umm..." He attempted to shake this off in order to calm down, visibly put off by the eeriness of seeing the ring again. I'm gonna go back t' sleep now..." Somehow at least...

 

Maybe he could just pretend the conversation never happened (Good luck with that...)

 

From beside Bakura, Yugi nodded. "Right," he said with a smile. "We all need to rest up for tomorrow, even if we don't duel!" Or end up possibly soul-snatched by whatever was in that ring.

 

Again.

 

As Bakura said this, Honda looked over to spot the rather unnerved expression on Katsuya's face. And apparently, revenge was a sweet drink after the issue of the 'vine-snake'. "Heheheee..." Honda smirked as his friend tried to get comfortable behind a tree, as far from Bakura's bag as possible. "Oi, Jonouchi... Want me to tell you a horror story before you sleep..? Or will you get nightmares?" As his friend laughed, Katsuya merely growled and went red.

 

"Tch... Shut up! I ain't scared!" Mostly.

 

Honda merely continued to laugh, before collapsing back on the ground. "What ever you say..."

 

"I'm serious! Honda!" He growled at the teen, before something hit him in the head from behind. "OW! What the-" He turned, frowning as he picked up what looked to be a box labeled 'Unicharm'.

 

Err what..? He frowned, trying to remember where he'd seen this before. Unicharm... It was next to the shampoo in the drug store, wasn't that like... Something girls used or...

 

Or... Oh... He flushed, dropping the box. Ohhhhh shit- Looking at where it came from he paled, Anzu clearly visible and not pleased.

 

Fuck. "I don't know about you guys," she began with a growl, Mai looking just as happy, "But we're TRYING to sleep over here!" As Mai gave them all a look and returned to the tent, the woman continued. "So pipe down, honestly!" Oh boy...

 

At least the 'harpy' hadn't shouted either... Sheesh. He rubbed his head as the girls vanished back to their tent, before frowning. Not his fault, he wanted to sleep too... Though after all that, it took a bit. Particularly with the glare-battle going on between he and Honda for a short bit.

 

In the end, they were both just too tired to keep the 'battle' going, caving and rolling over in a 'tie'. Katsuya leaned back on the ground, blearily staring at the sky before yawning. The box had been wrapped up in his jacket, what with its contents adding to a 'slightly less than rock hard pillow feel'... He'd give it back in the morning he guessed. Not like they were using it if they threw it at him.

 

Ah well... Regardless of what was going on, if the ring was zipped up in that bag it couldn't actually do anything right..? Though... You never knew really...

 

(That ring. Was Satan in gold form.)

 

He closed his eyes, sighing contentedly. So nice and peaceful...

 

Just sleep...

 

Everything would be alright, if he just got some sleep... "Hwaaaahh..."

 

Sleep...

 

 _-whp whp whp whp_ -

 

Ignore the sounds of what was probably a bug... And sleep...

 

_-whp whp whp whp whp-_

 

His eye twitched, a slight frown coming over his face. Alright that bug was getting a bit loud, but nothing he couldn't ignore right? Kinda rumbly too... Had the wind picked up? Whatever, he decided as he shuffled to the side. Sleeeeep...

 

Sleep. Just... Ignore the noise and-

 

 _WHP WHP WHP WHP WHP_ -

 

GOD

 

DAMN IT!

 

"AAAAUGGH!" Katsuya jumped up, eyes wid and expression livid as he jammed his fingers in his ears. "WHOEVER'S MAKING THAT NOIS CUT IT OUT! AAAUGH!" As the noise persisted, increasing in volume if that was possible, he continued to growl.

 

To the side the girls had woken up again, though without the rage from before as they looked up at the sky. "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!" Yugi in the meantime was staring upwards, eyes wide.

 

"A-Ahh! It... It's a helicopter!" He didn't care what it was, it was loud!

 

"JUST MAKE THE NOISE STOP," he shouted, looking around in the sky to see the vehicle as it flew over head. Helicopters... Arrrrrgh! It was too dark to see a logo or anything to discern where the copter came from at the moment; as it was the only reason they could see it was because it was a rather bright shade of white against the black sky, not to mention the spotlight from underneath it. As the helicopter began to lower itself a short distance away, he was still shouting at it, face bright red. "HEY! YOU," he shouted as they began heading towards the spot. "WHAT TIME DO YOU THINK IT IS, ASSHOLE!"

 

As they moved through the woods, coming to a fairly large clearing, Katsuya finally tore the fingers from his ears. No sense covering what was already blindingly loud! Sheesh! "There," Yugi was shouting over the sound of the blades, wind pushing them back as the helicopter landed. "But why is it landing here!"

 

"The hell if I know," Katsuya found himself growling rather loudly. Three times. THREE TIMES he'd been woken up, not counting the weird nightmare he'd been jostled out of before! What the hell was wrong with this island! And whoever was in the copter! "I swear it, whoever 's in there is getting a punch in the fucking face!" As he clenched his fist, bundled jacket gripped in his other arm, he continued to scowl. "Damn it... We gotta duel tomorrow, who the hell comes to an island like this in the middle of the night!"

 

As if to answer their questions the whipping sounds of the helicopter died, blades slowing to a stop while the vehicle came to a perfect landing. The windows were tinted, so they couldn't tell who was

inside...

 

But as Katsuya lookted at the side of the helicopter door, he found himself staring with wide eyes. 'KC'. That was... That was the logo for...

 

The door clicked open, and within a few seconds, they knew exactly why a helicopter had bothered landing in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night. "S-Seto-ch..." He shook himself off, glad that the shock of the situation had everyone else paying more attention to Kaiba (who was now fixing them all with a blank if not narrowed stare), rather than what he was saying.

 

He didn't catch the frown from Mai behind him of course. Nor the slight, wry smile that Yugi gave for just a moment, instead staring forward as the woman came into clear view. Though there was no longer any wind the coat seemed to billow just slightly as she moved and for a brief moment, he remembered his earlier predictions on when she was to wake up. Haha...

 

He was a week off...

 

"...Kaiba..." She was awake... She was... Back.

 

And as the dream from last night came to mind, he realized now just what kind of hell he was going to be paying up to the woman.

 

* * *

 

Landing a helicopter was never too difficult, in her opinion. After all she certainly knew how to take off and fly one. Finding a place within decent range of the castle to land however, was not nearly as easy as she'd like. The area had to be clear of trees, people, and relatively flat. Something that Pegasus seemed to have purposely avoided when building his castle, given he surrounded it with mountains, a volcano, and a forest.

 

(Really, a volcano? Please...)

 

She'd managed of course though; nothing was stopping her from getting to her brother and the assholes holding him, and if she had to she'd have landed beside the damned volcano. As it was it took a small bit of self control not to react, when upon killing the engine of the copter she saw _him_ of all people.

 

"Hn..." Seto narrowed her eyes as she stepped out of the seat, grabbing her briefcase from the ground and stowing the gun away in her coat. Yugi... "Figures I'd still be tied to you," she muttered under her breath, flicking off the lights in the vehicle with a slight scowl. And of course the rest of his 'crew' was there... There were two she didn't recognize however, and another which had her frowning. 'Kujaku Mai'...

 

She was one of the regional champions last she checked. Granted in half a year who knew what had happened but all things aside, what was she doing with them? And the white haired teen... There was an odd feeling there, like they'd met at least in passing, if only just for one moment. It was only that however. She moved to the door, frowning as she pushed the thoughts back. So she didn't know who he was either, big deal; it was obvious they hadn't met, after all, she had no memories of him!

 

The blond however... 'Jonouchi', as he was apparently called. And even then she had no way of telling that this was his actual name. She couldn't get her mind to make it 'fit', and feel 'right', and every time she attempted to force it the name simply slipped from her mouth and failed to meet the air. As if the word simply didn't exist for her.

 

Well she decided, opening the door of the helicopter. She supposed that he hadn't done too bad a job at chasing after her brother's captors if he was here at least. Perhaps he was worth giving a slight bit of respect but... That was something to keep to herself she decided as she stepped out, ignoring the shouts from a fair number of the group. She wasn't going to simply place her trust blindly in his arms. No... After all regardless of what Mokuba had apparently decided while she was 'gone', there was always a risk... Always.

 

' _Is that who I think it is..?_ ' She turned her head as the gasps filled the air, looking over the crowd with a dull stare. _'It's Kaiba,_ ' they were saying, ' _He came out of his coma!_ ' Hn! So they knew about that then... Well after so long, she supposed it figured. Not to mention that they had, for the most part, witnessed that final battle between herself and Yugi. That was probably where it happened...

 

Nonetheless. Across from her Yugi seemed slightly frozen, as did the blond beside him. They both stared a few moments, before the shorter of the two broke into a grin and spoke. "Kaiba-san!" She blinked, raising her eyebrows just slightly as Yugi charged forwards. The others around him also seemed surprised, save for the blond it would appear...

 

Said blond appeared to be staying put, instead staring from a distance with a numb and almost blank look on his face. Seto waited for the boy to stop a few feet away, before giving a slight nod in response. 'San'? Now why had he used that honorific? From what she recalled, he always used the honorific 'kun'... Now what brought this change? Well...

 

Regardless, it was more confusing that he'd run over. "...We meet again, Yugi," she said with a fairly neutral tone, confusion kept within her mind as she held her equally blank expression in place. The boy nodded in response to the comment, before reaching into his pockets for something. The sound of rustling cloth filled the air in addition to his muttering, and she watched as Yugi pulled out a deck of cards. Cards? She blinked as she recalled the 'dust shadow' she'd seen on the table beside her. There had obviously been a deck there, and given that Mokuba knew which cards she used...

 

These were probably... "Here," Yugi said, holding them out. "There was a guy who had your cards," he continued, Seto picking them up with a blank expression. "I got them back for you." Her cards...

 

She nodded, placing them in the breast pocket of her jacket. So Pegasus had stolen these as well. Well, hopefully if Yugi's actions at her own matches against him were any consideration, the one who had dared to use her cards was dealt a similar if not worse fate. "In that case, I'll thank you for now," Seto said calmly, before moving to turn. It was a genuine 'thank you'... But outside of that, outside of her grudging respect for this teen, there would be no peace between them. Not for a while... "Don't be mistaken however... I'm not the kind of man who'll lose a fight and walk away with my tail between my legs." She levelled a light glare at the boy, before continuing. "I'll defeat you, sooner or later..." Preferably sooner...

 

Yugi scratched his head, laughing nervously at the comment. He had probably been expecting it... Good. "Ahaha... Anyways... Kaiba-san... You're here because of Mokuba-kun right?" She blinked, eyes widening just barely. Mokuba... So then Yugi knew as well! Now that she thought about it, there had been a picture with Mokuba and Yugi there... Not to mention the rest of his 'posse'... "I was thinking... Since we're all trying to get to Pegasus, maybe we could team-"

 

No. She frowned, clenching her fists as she cut the boy off. 'Team up'? Not likely! "Don't bother finishing that sentence," she said coldly, Yugi visibly tensing slightly at the words. "It's me who will defeat Pegasus... And I don't need the help of you, nor anyone else to do so," she added, eyes briefly going over the blond across from her. His expression seemed just a little odd...

 

Confused perhaps? Or something else? Seto threw the thoughts from her mind, turning around and looking toward the castle in the distance. That castle... That was where her brother was...

 

"I'll protect my company and my brother with my own hands, understand?" There was silence as she began to walk away, nothing but the wind and the sound of muttering. Good... No complaints or angered retorts, not that she would have listened. Abruptly however a single voice cut through the air that had her stop. A voice she didn't know that seemed familiar somehow, enough that she was frowning in response. The blond...

 

"Oi, Se... Kaiba," the teen shouted, Seto's eyes narrowing slightly at the presumed slip between names. She wasn't on a first name basis with anyone outside of her brother, home-based employees not included. So why was this person... She turned, watching the blond step forwards for a moment, something in his hands. Now what was this about? If she could remember who this person was, it would at least make her feel more comfortable about knowing that this person as well was supposedly fighting to go after Mokuba. Now however? She felt herself on edge, unsure of anything he could do. "Looking pretty good for a coma-victim," the teen continued, Seto's eyes narrowing slightly. Well wasn't that a 'nice' compliment? Hn! What was he up to now? "Let's see your reflexes! CATCH!"

 

He tossed something, the woman paying no mind to it as she grabbed it from the air with ease. "Hn!" An easy toss to catch; it was more reflex that had her bother really. She looked over the crowd, frowning slightly as she noted the rather horrified expressions on all but the blond's faces. Odd... The woman brought her arm down, turning the box over. Now why were they- She tensed, looking at the box that he'd thrown. Thi..

 

This was! A visible glint of anger entered her eyes, the woman dropping the box the moment she caught the 'Unicharm' label on it. He'd thrown a box of _these_ at him!

 

"Gh..." What a moron... He dared to even joke at a time like this! It had to be a joke after all. Those who knew of her identity were made to keep it strictly under-wraps, and regardless of all she didn't know, this moron would have nothing to gain by attempting to spoil such a secret! "You..." Tch... Screw what Mokuba thought of this idiot, the first thing she was doing when she got the boy back was making sure this idiot went through hell! Maybe a few night shifts timed with a school quiz or two would be a good start... "Of all times..." 'Jonouchi' merely smirked, watching as Seto sent a glare worthy of death itself in the blond's direction. Apparently this blond had a death wish...

 

Even the people behind him knew that! "Heh... No way I'm lettin' yah go just yet... Heck, one week ago you weren't movin' an inch! How do I know you won't keel over any second?" Tch! She gripped her briefcase, jaw clenched before she answered. After all she might have felt a little drowsy, but that could wait. This moron looked as though he'd been hit by a truck. He had nothing on her...

 

Regardless of any medical knowledge that would say otherwise. "Hn! Interesting words coming from someone who resembles a flea-bitten mutt." Oh... That hit a nerve she thought with a slight smirk, watching as the 'Mutt' visibly growled for a moment. Good. Maybe he would shut up. At that same instant, it looked as though Yugi and one of the others (Honda was it?) would attempt to hold him back. However she noted with a light look of confusion, the blond didn't move an inch. Instead he dropped the scowl for a smirk, almost laughing. Hn...

 

Now what was that about... "You don' change yer insults that often, do yah s... Kaiba?" Again with the pause. Interesting... As her eyes narrowed with minor suspicion, the teen continued. "'Mutt', 'Mutt', 'Mutt'... Be creative already!" At these words, those behind him seemed to frown, the reaction apparently coming off as a surprise to them. Hn... Seto snorted, her smirk remaining in place. She wasn't about to fall behind in this 'verbal battle'...

 

"Try being something other than a dog then, 'Mutt'." As a few of the others in the clearing rolled their eyes at this, she continued to leave a narrowed stare at Jonouchi. Who was this idiot... He was most definitely the one who was with Mokuba in those photos, but how did such a complete moron even manage that? To gain her brother's trust, the trust of her other employees, and still be... This? Mokuba... The smirk vanished, and she moved to turn again. "If you excuse me," she muttered, a frown once more in place as the reason she had come came back to the front of her mind, "I'll be on my way..."

 

"How long you been awake anyways, s-'Kaiba'?" She paused again, turning her head to level an annoyed stare at Jonouchi. Honestly, why was he bothering with all of these questions! It didn't matter to him, and it certainly didn't matter to anyone else in the area just what kind of condition she was in! "Can't be that long right? Yah sure didn't look like you'd be getting up when I left, I can tell yah that!" Hn! As if she cared about that... Besides, how was she to know when he'd last seen her? "Why don' we make a bet?" Her eyebrows raised, and she turned her full attention to the blond. A 'bet'? Her brother was in danger, he knew this, and he wanted to make a bet? "It's like Yugi said after all, we're after th' same thing right?" She frowned suspiciously, the smirk and frown both now gone. She had no time for bets, nor games...

 

"Regardless of the reason you're here 'Mutt', I can guarantee that what you consider the 'same thing' and what I consider as such are two very different things..." The blond's expression didn't change, and she momentarily thought of turning around again. At least until she spotted the box around the mutt's neck. As Seto's eyes widened just slightly at the image of her private safe key on the box, Jonouchi spoke one more.

 

"Don't act like you know what it is I'm talking about," he said as the smirk faded, crossing his arms. "You know damn well that we're here for th' same thing! I'm askin' you t' give me one shot at this, got it?" She stared, listening as the now frowning blond continued to speak. "You an' me Se-.. Kaiba! Duel! If I win, you have t' stick with us!"

 

At those words, Honda and a few of the others frowned, looking at the teen incredulously. Seto herself found herself looking at him with narrowed eyes as well, jaw clenched tightly in her annoyance. What the hell was he up to..? A duel? Hah! If his cards were anything like his appearance, this would be a joke! So why was it that this look seemed familiar only now...

 

The woman scoffed, a smirk coming to her face. "A duel..? I don't think you even realize what you're saying," the woman asked with a dismissive stare. Hnn... She needed to test her duel disk at some point though; who knew what the months had done to it, even from inside a locked case. One shot... Seto stared at the teen across from her before nodding curtly. "Very well then," she continued with a smirk, watching as Jonouchi's expression of oddly calm anger shifted into a smirk. It was her only shot at getting around whatever tricks Pegasus would have set up after all... So what better way to test it than to get out of here? "Someone needs to show you your proper place after all... However," she continued, watching as Yugi turned from where he was trying to convince his friend not to duel, "When I win, I'm leaving, with no questions asked. If a single one of you even attempts to stall me, you will pay."

 

While the others drew back slightly at this, Jonouchi merely nodded. Hn... Interesting... This 'mutt' wasn't backing down either; obviously more than just a pathetic bluff. Perhaps this would be more

than a test for the duel-disks, she decided with a frown. Mokuba had picked this moron for a reason after all...

 

So perhaps he would prove himself at least slightly competent in this duel, enough that she wouldn't have too many doubts about why this moron had been hired. Strategy was applied to more than just cards after all. "Alright then," he said with a nod, moving off to the side. Hn? Now where was he going? "Come with me! There's a duel box over here!" Ah, that was where...

 

"No," she said with a neutral tone, watching as the blond turned with a frown. "Let's fight right here..." Jonouchi appeared to fix her with an almost incredulous stare, and she placed her briefcase on the ground. Watching the teen's neutral expression as she opened the case, she smirked. Here it was... She pulled the round devices out, tossing one over to Jonouchi with a blank stare. "Put this on," she told him, just a slight commanding tone to her voice. "It's a 'Duel Disk'... A new piece of hardware I developed around the same time as 'Death-T'," she continued, watching as her current opponent clicked the deck holder around his wrist with slight difficulty. "This is a prototype... But it's a good opportunity to test it I would think..."

 

As Jonouchi turned to face her with an almost joking smirk, she gritted her teeth. What the hell was with that expression..? How was it that he could turn all of this into such a joke!

 

Nonetheless, she focused on explaining. "The rules are 'mostly' the standard... However, the concept of the field is a little different," Seto explained, attaching the second duel disk to her own wrist before grabbing her deck. "I'll leave it at that... It shouldn't be too difficult, even for a dog like you, to figure things out. Put your cards in the deck holder," she stated, inwardly smirking at the slight twitch she got from the blond at the 'dog' comment. Interesting...

 

They seemed to really get to him...

 

She would enjoy this. Seto stepped back a fair number of feet, gripping the disk in her left hand as she continued on. "Before we start, we need to be at least five meters apart," the woman stated with an again neutral expression. Lest she end up beaned in the head by this idiot... She watched as Jonouchi put his cards in the holder, gripping his own deck and staring her down with a smile. Tch... Don't take her lightly... She narrowed her eyes, shaking it off for the moment. "Alright... If you're ready, then it's 'Game Start'! I'll go first," she began, drawing her cards. "Draw five cards from the deck," the woman continued, "And place your monster in one of the spaces on the disk... And when you've made your move," she continued, "Throw it into the field!"

 

The disk was tossed almost like a frisbee, device buzzing as it shot towards the half-way point on the field between herself and Jonouchi. The blond tensed as the device glowed, and Seto smirked widely. "W-What the," the teen was muttering, watching as wisps of light swirled from the device. "A monster's comin' out of th' disk!" Well, at least his reaction was partially amusing...

 

She chuckled, more than glad to see that there were no problems with the device thus far. "The graphic data in the card is processed at high speed using the hyper-3D engine built into the disk," Seto explained with a grin, eyes narrowed in her mirth. She doubted that the blond had a clue what she was saying, but... Maybe if he was still able to stand after his loss, his 'friends' could explain it to him. "It creates a 'solid vision' of the monster, using the same emulator utilized in my Duel Boxes!" Still grinning, she watched as those around them stared at the devices with wide eyes.

 

It had been a while since she'd dueled... Her grin shrank back into a smirk, and she watched as her opponent made his move. It was almost invigorating...

 

And it was just the thing to get her warmed up for Pegasus.

 

* * *

 

Well, she hadn't fallen over yet...

 

That was always good. Katsuya blinked at the monster before him, briefly wondering if maybe the doctors had been wrong. Heck given how fast she'd gotten here, it was obvious that the woman had woken up recently. Back when they had been asking questions, the doctors had said she'd be out for more than just a few hours after waking up, possibly a few weeks even. But then how the heck was she still standing! Whatever the case of it though he'd taken this bet, and he intended to win it.

 

Regardless of the fact that Seto had her old cards back in hand. Cards in a spinning disk... Sheesh, it was like 'fighting-instant-cup-ramen! Watching as the woman before him smirked, he nodded to himself. Alright... He could do this...

 

And if he didn't then maybe it would be better for Mokuba in the end. Hell, not like he was really going to accomplish much until the morning, so if Kaiba managed to- Agh! He mentally shook himself, looking at his deck. God, he needed to focus! Draw five cards, pick a monster and... Lesse, it looked like the duel disks focused on some kind of weird one-on-one battle system... And...

 

He bit his lip, frowning. Bad draw, bad bad draw... He didn't have any monsters that could take the attack of the Battle Ox Seto just summoned! He grabbed one of his monsters, looking across. Alright... He didn't know how the defense mode really worked on this thing... All the panels were were large squares that the cards clicked into. Battle Ox fought with an axe though... So maybe if he was lucky...

 

"Alright," he shouted, putting his monster on the disk. "I'll play this card!" He tossed the disk, watching as the light burst from the middle to reveal a tall, almost skeletal 'lizard' of sorts. The humanoid lizard screeched, and Katsuya grinned. "Don't let me down Armored Lizard," he shouted, watching as the monster growled at his opponent. "LET'S GO!"

 

* * *

 

Armored Lizard? She snorted as Jonouchi levelled a determined stare towards her. 200 points below her Battle Ox... Seto ignored the shouts from the 'peanut gallery' to the side, instead smirking as she looked over the monster. And intentionally summoned too it looked like. If he'd set a trap or spell she might have been a slight bit worried, but as she could clearly see that wasn't the case. Pathetic...

 

"Hnhnhnhnhn... You don't have a clue what you're doing, do you 'Mutt'?" Watching as the blond grit his teeth at that, she merely continued to smirk. This duel disk... So far it was working alright, which was good for her; monsters were summoned perfectly, and If Pegasus could truly 'read minds' as it would seem, then there was only one way to counter it- stay out of range with this machine!

 

She watched as Jonouchi frowned, shrugging slightly. "Trust me," he said with narrowed eyes. "I got a clue... Get him Armored Lizard," he shouted, the metallic beast charging forward with a screech. If he had a clue, why did he bother sending out a weaker monster?

 

"Hnhnhnhn..." Seto merely smirked as the lizard came forwards, before gesturing her snorting battle ox forward. "Battle Ox," she shouted, the monster heaving his weapon up on his shoulder with a growl. "DISEMBOWEL HIM !"

 

The axe swung into the monster's neck with a thunk, becoming stuck half way. "AXE CRUSHER!" Across from her, Jonouchi grinned. "Alright! It got hit, but it's still alive!" The teen smirked, Kaiba idly wondering just how long it would take for the Battle Ox to force the axe through. "You can't cut through the armor scales," he was continuing, both watching as the Lizard attempted to pull the axe from its neck. "Your axe won't work!"

 

Please... So that was it then? He was comparing the rules of the duel-disk to Pegasus' bastardized tournament 'advantages'... Somehow under the impression that armor would beat the axe! "Hmph!" The woman snorted, arms crossed. She wouldn't be pulling back the disk any time soon... After all, if these were the tactics he was using, she wouldn't be replacing the oxe anytime soon. "Fool! Things like that don't matter when the Battle Ox has more attack points!" Her grin shifted slightly, Seto watching as Battle Ox slammed the lizard to the ground. "TAKE HIM DOWN," she commanded, and with those very words the axe cut clean through Armored Lizard's neck. There was a loud 'thunk' through the air, and Jonouchi tensed as the monster dissolved into nothingness. Now then...

 

What would he do next, she wondered idly...

 

* * *

 

Shit... There went that option. Katsuya grit his teeth as his lifepoints went down, looking at the deck holder on his wrist while the numbers beeped at him. From two thousand to eighteen hundred...

 

"Aww man... My lizard..." Still... It was only 200 points, so he had a fair shot yet. As the monster's image dissolved, Yugi watched worriedly from behind him.

 

"Ah... Jonouchi-kun," he shouted, the blond jumping as he followed his friend's gaze. "Look!"

 

As he said this, the card he'd placed on the disk was violently spat off to the side, Katsuya paling. Shit! He'd paid a fair amount of money for that... "Ack! My card!" It vanished into the woods, blending in with the rest of the foliage rather easily in the darkness. Ack...

 

Before he moved to chase after it (' _Pick it up later Jonouchi-kun,_ ' Yugi was shouting.) Seto's voice caught his attention again, the teen turning to pay attention. "When the monster loses," she was saying, gesturing to her deck holder. "And your card is lost, pull the wire of the duel disk toward yourself and pull back!" Well, that was straight forward... He frowned slightly, before nodding.

 

Alright then... "Like this," he asked, giving the cord a tug. He jumped as the disk abruptly snapped up, shooting towards him with enough force to make him stumble. "WOAH!" Not expected! He shook slightly, regaining his balance. Yikes... This disk... He held it with a frown, before mentally nodding. Alright then. This thing was essentially a giant yoyo... Not bad taste, he told himself. Not bad at all. He was good with yo-yos... Across from him, Seto was still grinning. Well, at least someone was happy...

 

Though that was debatable at times really, given her reasons for smiling in most of those cases. "Now," she shouted, Katsuya looking forwards. "It's your turn; set a new card and throw the disk!"

 

He nodded, grinning. "Alright then," he said, drawing. Lets see what he got... Katsuya looked down at the card, smirking. Battle Ox had 1700 points? Well this card had 1800! Heh... A good start in his opinion! "Okay," he shouted, placing his card on the disk. It locked with a click, a small light glowing behind it in response. "Here's my next one! The Flame Swordsman!" Battle Ox was going down! "TAKE THIS!" He tossed the disk, smirking.

 

'Jonouchi,' they were saying, Honda grinning to the side. 'Yes... That could win..!'

 

Pointing the warrior forward, he continued to grin. "Alright... This match is mine! Toki En Zan Ken!" The sword clashed against the Ox's axe, the weapons scrapping against each other and sparking fiercely but nonetheless holding firm. He smirked, before frowning. Hang on...

 

Something wasn't right, wasn't there something about the Battle Ox and.. "J-Jonouchi-kun," Yugi shouted, Katsuya's thoughts hitting him rather quickly at his next words. Ohhhh shit, why did this come to mind just now? "Battle Ox has a resistance to fire!"

 

God fucking damn it. Seto merely smirked in response to his groan, the woman's arms crossed. "Iron Arm Axe," she shouted, her monster's weapon throwing Flame Swordsman off balance. Battle Ox grinned madly before cutting him clean in two with the blade, returning to its master's side with a chuckling growl. "The swordsman is killed!" Gh...! He watched his points drop another two hundred points, wincing. Not a good start... The blond mentally groaned as Honda loudly wondered if there was any way he would win, rubbing his head. Not helping... "Hnhnhnhnhn... The world's _worst_ duelist, I presume," Seto said from across him, the blond growling in response. Eggh...

 

He knew she'd probably be just as smug as before, but he really needed to better prepare himself for this kind of thing... Because if she kept it up, he was going to have to apologize to her brother for punching Seto in the face.

 

(Provided he got over there before she bolted.)

 

"This duel is almost like an exhibition match," the woman continued, smirk growing. "And if you still think there's a chance of turning this around 'Mutt', think again! I'll shatter your glass confidence until nothing remains!" Glass! He grit his teeth, frowning as he looked at the woman's face. Something about the way she was looking him over... It was freaking him out, like something was wrong. And what was with all the dog comments? He'd think that she'd call him by his name at least once! And yet...

 

He clenched his fist, steeling himself. He'd figure this out... He'd get through this and figure it out, one way or another!

 

* * *

 

It was really beginning to bug her, the woman decided. Watching as the 'mutt' growled at her, she strained her thoughts in an attempt to place at least one memory to the face only to find nothing. Tch... It figured. She didn't let her annoyance show however, instead continuing the duel. She had to admit, Flame Swordsman wasn't that bad... Nor would the earlier planning have been a problem if the rules Pegasus had made were in place. However Seto mentally continued, it was still on par with an amateur play. Not to mention Pegasus' rules were completely ridiculous at the moment.

 

"Hnhnhnhnhn..." She chuckled, pulling her duel disk back after drawing a card. Looking over it, she knew just what she could do to make this go quicker. It would test the spell-card compatibility as well... "This is getting boring," she said dismissively, gripping the disk as she grabbed two of her cards. "I'll play two new cards this turn; and by powering up the Battle Ox, I'll show you just how great the difference in skill is between us!" Across from her, Jonouchi said nothing in response. Instead, he merely stared forwards with narrowed and determined eyes. Well...

 

At least he was keeping somewhat quiet then...

 

Though it seemed rather out of place for some reason. She studied the teen's face a few more moments, before continuing. "They're both from Greek Myths after all," she muttered, placing 'Polymerization' on one slot and 'Mystic Horseman' on the other. "So if I combine a minotaur with a centaur," she shouted, tossing the wheel forward, "I get this! Rabid Horseman!" A... Mino-centaur? Good thing she hadn't said that out loud...

 

The light swirled around her Battle ox, hiding it from form. It became blinding almost, Seto squinting in the glare before it cleared to reveal it's new fused form. The body of a horse, the torso and arms of a man, and the head of an ox... The beast pawed at the ground, and Seto crossed her arms. Of course as a fusion monster, she couldn't have it attack on the first turn...

 

Nonetheless...

 

 _'Lets see how you counter this, Mutt..._ ' Perhaps he would prove himself slightly competent in creating a defense against it.

 

* * *

 

Shiiiiiiit...

 

He swallowed, frowning slightly as he pulled the duel disk back to his arm. "Tch... Damn it..." This wasn't good... He continued to stare at the woman, as if doing so long enough would tell him what was going on. All the same though...

 

She definitely wasn't collapsing anytime soon! He drew a card, frowning again. Nothing with a decent amount of attack power... And he still couldn't figure out how the damn defense mode would work! God, this was complete bullshit! "So you got a new monster," he grit out, going slightly red as he attempted to focus on the duel. He'd noticed just now but... This was the first time he'd seen the woman without something on her neck. Even her pajamas had the collar done up to the top, but at the moment...

 

Well, he was wondering how she made it so that the binding wasn't visible, seriously with that shirt...

 

Left partially unbuttoned, he could rather clearly see the woman's slim neck and- he coughed, before tossing the duel disk back out with his next monster. He'd put it out sideways, hoping it would at least pull out a defense position as in the standard table-top duels... If it didn't work of course, it obviously wasn't enough to face the Horseman. As it was though, it was better than a direct strike! "That doesn't mean I'll stop fighting!" The blinding light erupted from the duel disk, Kastuya idly wondering if there were any other duelists on the island watching at the moment. Well, if they were... He sure as hell hoped he didn't end up making a fool out of himself... "Swamp Battle Guard!"

 

* * *

 

Seto smirked slightly as the monster came to the field. Well...

 

At least he wasn't so pathetic that he would give up the instant he was about to lose. Though pretty soon she'd have to ask if the moron knew the meaning of the words 'defense mode'. Constantly putting out attack mode monsters with low attack power... True she was winning, and would certainly continue to win. However this was getting rather tedious!

 

Not to mention repetitive. "Hmph," she muttered with a snort, barely giving the summoned monster notice. An easy kill! "Go, Rabid Horseman!" A piercing wail sounded through the air as the horseman charged, axe cutting through Jonouchi's monster easily. The blond across from her visibly faltered slightly, and as he made his next move he appeared to grimace. Hn... Not joking much now, was he?

 

"Ghn..." The teen placed a card in, clearly not pleased with whatever move he made. Tossing the wheel out, he nonetheless forced a determined frown on his face. "Then how about this! AXE RAIDER!"

 

She kept a partially disappointed frown from her face, outward expression appearing as nothing more than a smirk. Tch... This one was stronger than the last, but only by 100 points! What was this moron playing at..? Another attack mode monster to whittle away at the teen's lifepoints! "As if that will do you any good, moron!" Seto smirked as her monster pawed the ground, turn coming to hers. At least he had the sense to not attack with these monsters... But why was he bothering then? She banished the thoughts from her mind, instead focusing on winning the match. "You can't even scratch my monsters if these are the only cards you have!"

 

Again, Rabid Horseman charged, Jonouchi's points dropping yet again. Lets see... After the last few attacks that brought him to 1100 didn't it? Hn! And she hadn't even taken a scratch, and he was only a hundred points from half dead! The woman watched, eyes narrowed as her opponent stumbled again only to look up with those same determined eyes. Tch... Now what was he up to..? Didn't he know he'd lost yet? "Scratch," he said, pulling the disk in. "We'll see about that, y' overgrown Sea Horse!" Wait...

 

What! She blinked, watching as the teen summoned yet another weaker-than-needed monster and shook it off. How was that even an insult? ...Why did it bug her if it wasn't a good insult! Either way...

 

If he was going to try a verbal battle, he would be a loser on all fronts! "Hah!" Seto smirked as 'Battle Steer' appeared, a monster that while another 100 points more powerful was still not enough to handle the Rabid Horseman. "If you're going to spout insults, try coming up with something more creative Mutt- not to mention less pathetic! Rabid Horseman," she shouted, the mino-centaur snorting in response to her command. "Cut him to pieces!" Rabid Horseman did so with mindless pleasure, axe plowing through the bovine opponent not once but twice before it vanished into the light. The monster's squeals were lost to the air, and the card was flicked off to join the others on the side.

 

"Tch..." Again, Jonouchi winced, drawing his next card and speaking. "Heh! Says th' one who's been calling me nothin' but 'Mutt' all night," he countered, tossing the ring out as a monster equal in power to the last appeared. "Why don't you practice what y' preach?"

 

Seto snorted, watching as the monster known as 'Garoozis' stood before her. "Quite honestly _Mutt,_ " she emphasized, "All other insults would probably be lost on you." In all actuality, she just didn't know enough about the moron to say anything else... Now "Tell me, do you even know what the term 'defense mode' means? Because this became boring a long time ago," she finished with a growl. "Rabid Horseman! Go!" Again, the axe was swung, another 200 lifepoints dropping from Jonouchi's counter.

 

The blond however, still didn't falter; if anything, he was looking at the woman with a fairly grim scowl. "Hn! Regardless 'f how stupid y' think I am se- Kaiba," he began, Seto's eyes narrowing slightly as she caught the slip yet again. "I know damn well how to play Duel Monsters! It's yer own fault that defense mode isn't workin on th' thing!" As he said this, he tossed out another monster, Seto looking down at it before raising her eyebrows. Defense mode wasn't working? She wouldn't know going through attack the entire time, but she was fairly sure that the button to turn on that mode was obvious... "RUDE KAISER!"

 

Sideways...

 

Each monster he'd been sending out had been set sideways, in the proper position for a defense mode monster. However, she noted, he also wasn't pushing the button. She smirked, before fixing a blank stare at her opponent. Honestly, it wasn't that hard to figure out... "Did you try pushing the button on the side, Mutt, or are you blind too? RABID HORSEMAN," she shouted, her monster having not even bothered to leave the center of the field. The beast nodded, raising his weapon with a large and wicked grin.

 

As the axe swung down through the next monster, Jonouchi visibly went pale. Regardless of the now pitiful number of lifepoints he had however, he managed to keep a blank face as he continued. "Pfh... Thanks f'r tellin' me on my last leg jerk!" Regardless of the comment however, the blond managed to smirk. It seemed a little fake... Not hiding anger she noted with narrowed eyes, but possible sadness... Now that was odd... "Right," he shouted, pulling the disk back and drawing a card. "Ogre Rock in defense mode then!" The disk was thrown to the field again, large stone golem appearing in a protective position. "Just wait s- Kaiba," the teen continued, faltering yet again Seto noted with a blank stare. "I'll do a lot more than just give you a scratch!" More than a scratch?

 

Seto snorted, putting up a smirk despite her annoyances. Well... She would see about that.

 

She would see...

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Unicharm' is a tampon company in Japan. I'm attempting to use Japanese brands when possible, for accuracy.


	8. The Terror That Is Pegasus

Stars filled the night sky only to be blotted out by the light of a solid hologram. What was a quiet peaceful evening had been broken by the growls and snarls of monsters that for all appearances could have been as real as the people behind him at that moment. Katsuya swallowed as he held the cards in his hand, attempting to steel himself. Now that he saw the button here he felt pretty moronic to tell the truth. Hell, with the way Seto had been talking it felt more like when he was doing homework and had to ask Mokuba of all people for help.

 

Only this time instead of 'did you try _insert apparently obvious answer here_ ', it was 'Did you try hitting the BUTTON '?

 

No. No he didn't and oh for fuck's sake...

 

Was it really as obvious as she was making it out to be? With a fairly easy click, he had himself a temporary wall now though. And thankfully, what with his hand being full of monsters, he would probably be able to put off another strike until he thought of some way around that Rabid Horseman...

 

Even still when he had summoned said monster and watched it bite the dust, he had to clench his jaw. There went wall number one. And... Here went number two. While it felt a little like the insults had died down, something seemed terribly off. Yeah, she was still calling him 'mutt' and 'moron'. But it felt weird. Like there was a larger gap between the two than even before if that was even possible; he sure as hell didn't think it was until now.

 

But something was missing... Forgotten even, or at least it felt that way. But that couldn't be right, he told himself with a mental smack to the back of the head. It couldn't...

 

Could it? Across from him Seto was laughing. A loud and deep laugh that was coming through a voice she'd been practising for years. And to accompany the laugh there was a smile. It was a twisted grin on her face, only 'half true'; yeah, she was obviously enjoying the fact that she was winning... By a long shot. There was something else though.

 

Something in there that had him narrowing his eyes in response."AHAHA... AHAHAHA!" Her laugh was loud and almost mocking really- it was hard to remember after spending half a year in silence with the woman, that she never actually used her real voice. Never spoke with the voice that he'd been mentally hearing through those months. The laugh was different than what he had heard at Death-T despite that. Very different...

 

Katsuya couldn't tell if it was real or fake though; couldn't tell if anything was real or fake, it wasn't like Seto had ever even thought for a second to do that! She'd never given an honest laugh... Never honestly smiled from what he had seen, not even to her brother in the more recent moments...

 

Though maybe now, he decided, that would change. "You might have a wall there mutt," the woman was saying with a smirk. "But at the rate you're going you mind as well give up!" Again with the mutt... He grit his teeth, before steeling himself. Come on... He could do this...

 

Give up? Pah! Might not win... But he was sure as hell _trying_! 'Don't give up,' they were shouting behind him. His 'Glassman' was scattered to the winds across his face after being dealt the same fate as Ogre Rock, and the blond fell to his knees against the blast. Sheesh... For a hologram, he decided as shouts blurred into a single 'voice', these were pretty damn painful... 'Hang in there!'

 

He grunted, pulling himself back to his feet and ignoring the slight sting of the 'road rash'. 'Come on, Jonouchi-kun,' Yugi was shouting in the background, before his voice as well faded alongside the shattering glass around his ears. Katsuya took a few ragged breaths, wiping his face before pulling the wheel back. "Heh... You think I'm gonna give up Set... Kaiba?" Stop stumbling, he told himself as he bit his tongue. Stop stumbling over the name... He drew a card, still frowning. Shoot... Also not good. Placing it in defense and clicking the button, he tossed the wheel out. "Think again!"

 

Light shot from the wheel again, the monster appearing in its defensive stance. Even in that position however, it appeared to shuffle back from its opponent. Across from him Seto seemed to still be looking down at him with the same degrading glare as from the moment she'd left the helicopter. Maybe there was suspicion there...

 

He didn't know. Right now he didn't know if he cared really... The woman remained silent for only a split second before snorting in response to his last words. "I don't think I will... The faster this 'joke' is over, the faster I can leave!" Joke? Figured she'd call it that... "Rabid Horseman, attack!" Again he was blown back, the force of the strike surprisingly realistic. Huh... Just...

 

Just a little tiring wasn't it! Katsuya continued to bite his tongue as he attempted to pull himself up, only for the disk to respond to his moving arm. There was a snap of wire, and before he knew it- "Goh!" The disk slammed into his stomach, falling to the ground with a thud and knocking him down once more. "Ah..Ow..." Shit...

 

He groaned again, not moving much more outside of that. That was gonna bruise... A lot... Behind him, he could hear the shouts of the others again. For some reason, he noted as he lay there, wincing in pain, there was an added one. "JONOUCHI," came Mai's screeching voice, eliciting another wince from the teen. Damn it what did she want right now? She'd been watching, didn't she think that maybe this wasn't the time..? "Didn't you say you weren't done!" Yes... Yes he did, and right now his head was pounding... "Then stand up and FIGHT! You said there were lives on the line, didn't you," the woman continued. Katsuya found himself frowning as she spoke, before biting his lip. Yeah... Yeah he had... "Then pull yourself together and fight for them!" Alright...

 

He groaned, ignoring the light frown and raised eyebrow Mai got from Kaiba. Yeah, she'd be wondering for a while just what the other was talking about... But for now... "Tch..." Pulling himself up and drawing a card, he scowled. His back was burning right now. Right now was really not the best time to be telling him to suck it up... "Shut up," he shouted with a glare, rubbing his stomach for a second before continuing. "I don't need t' get that from you, Kujaku Mai!" The teen grabbed his disk from the ground, shaking himself off with another hoarse breath. Man...

 

This was a real pain, that was for sure...

 

"'S gonna take more than getting beaned in the stomach t' stop me," he added with a growl, watching as Seto merely stood there and watched. Katsuya drew his card, still looking across. This time... This would finish it. "Battle ain't over yet! And for my next card..." This was it. He set the card on the disk, tossing it out with a glare that was far more determined than angered at the moment. "IS THIS!"

"RED EYES BLACK DRAGON !"

 

* * *

 

A thundering roar came through the air, and the light burst from the disk in an eruption of flames. Red eyes glowed as the dragon appeared, black scales shimmering in the moonlight. The dragon flexed its wings as it came to rest on the battle field, her own monster stepping back under it's stare. In response to the visible fear of it's opponent Red-Eyes snorted, rearing back on its skeletal legs to its full height. It was an impressive sight...

 

Not the _most_ impressive of course, but nonetheless. The black dragon..? Seto's eyes widened just slightly at the sight of it, and for a brief moment she had to lighten her gaze on her opponent. "Ah..." For someone who looked like they had come off the street, that wasn't too bad... In fact, she thought as the 'peanut gallery' continued their shouts of encouragement, it wasn't bad at all...

 

It wasn't nearly as good as her Blue-Eyes, true, but even so. To think he would have a card of that rarity in his deck was fairly astounding to say the least. "Here I come," the mutt was shouting, dragon screeching in agreement. "Attack! BLACK FIRE BULLET!" Flames gathered in the black dragon's maw, licking the sides of its scales before finally being released with an earsplitting roar. In a wave of heat the blast was shot, fires encompassing the Rabid Horseman completely. Across from her Jonouchi was grinning, his dragon appearing to share in the cheer just as much. "Take that, you ox-centaur thing!" Alright...

 

That comment was a little on the pathetic side that was for sure, but nonetheless. She gave a small smile, mentally chuckling even as her life points dropped by four hundred. Well... That counted as a 'scratch' she supposed. A well placed hit even. The crowd continued to cheer, though for a moment she wondered if Jonouchi had seen that smile. The blond was looking at her with a blank look of surprise, and she quickly replaced the smile with an equally blank stare. "Hnn..."

 

It would do no good whatsoever to have this moron think that she was easing up on him. Let alone possibly supporting the move. He'd probably seen it already. Though if he had, he wasn't showing it. In fact Jonouchi appeared to hide his own confusion just as fast as she had caught it, crossing his arms with a grin. "How do y' like that Kaiba," he was shouting. His dragon seemed to nod in response to that, head bowed in a mock chuckle. "Not bad for a 'stray dog', wouldn't y' say?"

 

She smirked, pulling the duel disk back. "Hmph!" A good move, that was true... However, it was only one. In his words, not bad for a 'stray dog'. For now however there was no place for such thoughts. "So happy that you won a single battle this turn... If that's all it takes to make you happy then you really are the world's weakest duelist!" Time to finish this, Seto decided with a smirk. The battle had been drawn on long enough... She'd 'reward' this dog with the sight of her re-claimed dragons. He had worked hard enough after all...

 

And it was time for her to leave.

 

As Jonouchi merely stared back with a frown, her smirk grew. "I've been saving a card that could beat yours anytime," the woman began, placing the card in the slot. "The card your friend Yugi got back for me!" And the expressions of all those in front of her dropped instantly. Wonderful how that worked out... She chuckled as her opponent tensed, before throwing the wheel out to the field. "Prepare yourself, 'Mutt'! For Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" In a blinding stream of light it appeared, the majestic white dragon whose scales contrasted that of Red-Eyes' completely. Blue-Eyes appeared to look down at the other in disappointment, as though Red-Eyes had 'failed' at some unseen task. Much like his monster the blond before her drew back slightly, eyes wide as a ball of energy began to build in blue-eyes' mouth. That's right... And with only 500 life points left, this would finish it. "GO! BURST STREAM OF DESTRUCTION!" The blast filled the entire area with light, Jonouchi's shout of shock and pain barely audible in the blast. Red Eyes was eradicated completely, along with the rest of the teen's lifepoints...

 

Squinting into the light, she could see Jonouchi being thrown back violently by the attack, skidding rather painfully against the ground as the light faded. Watching as the mutt's friends gathered around Jonouchi's fallen form, she snorted. A few mutterings from the blond told her that the moron was fine really, so at the moment she could care less how he felt...

 

'Jonouchi', they were shouting, 'jonouchi, jonouchi', well at least she knew the dog's name if she didn't before. Not that she'd use it if she didn't have to at least. "Crap," Jonouchi was muttering from the ground, Seto paying the others no mind. "I lost..." Of course he did! What, did he actually think he would win?

 

She mentally shook her head at the thought, a small smirk playing on her face. HAH! What a joke... Then again, that was the main reason he'd challenged her wasn't it? Oh well. The woman's eyes narrowed as Yugi sent an odd look her way, and she had to smirk in response to the partial glare. Really, was he upset over that? It was a fair fight after all... "Now do you see, Yugi?" she stated calmly, her Blue Eyes hovering around and behind her. The dragon appeared to almost be standing there protectively as she spoke, Yugi merely staring in silence along with most of the others listening. "I'm the one who will defeat Pegasus... And no one else!"

 

The disk before her continued to whir, the crowd falling relatively silent as she spoke. Most were staring with narrowed eyes... It was to be expected she supposed. Regardless of a fair fight with a clear outcome a group like that was bound to turn on the opponent. But the one who had actually lost... He was staring back with an oddly neutral stare, neither angered nor loathing visible in anyway. True, there was obvious disappointment, but there was also something else. Relief maybe? Or yet another, unknown feeling...

 

Her eyes narrowed, and she decided to simply move on with the reason she was there. "Return, Blue-Eyes," she commanded, the disk powering its light off in response. Blue-Eyes vanished into thin air at that, the disk shuddering while she moved to grab the Battle Ox card it had spat out before. She pulled the device back, removing her cards and turning her attention back to the crowd again as she packed up. Currently Jonouchi was unclipping the duel disk from his wrist, placing it on the ground in silence before the others helped him up. He looked forward, expression still that same blank look of mixed gloom and relief. The teen stumbled as his friends attempted to pull him up, gritting his teeth; apparently the force of being thrown back by Blue-Eyes attack had rebounded on his already self-inflicted injuries. He'd probably feel that tomorrow, but really he was the one who pulled back on the cord when sitting up, she told herself.

 

Moron...

 

"Hnhnhnhn..." Seto chuckled, arms still crossed as she looked over the blond with a smirk. He seemed fine other than that... Maybe next time he wouldn't make pointless bets that would result in him being thrown against the ground on an endless basis. "Was it educational 'Mutt'?" There was a short bit of silence, the teen looking up with narrowed eyes in response to the 'nickname'. "Maybe it was luck... Or perhaps the aid of your 'friends'," she began, removing her duel disk as she continued, "Regardless, you managed to win a few matches despite obvious incompetence, I admit. But in the end, it's all just an illusion... You," she began, watching as the blond continued to grit his teeth. Her expression wasn't mocking, or joking in anyway; these words were dead serious. If this was all it took to knock him down after all... If it was easy for even a holographic attack to send him flying... "It suits you to crawl on the ground! You're-'"

 

"'Too much of a loser to stand on his own two legs'." What...

 

Her eyes widened as the words were literally taken out of her own mouth, watching as Jonouchi lightly refused his friend's help. He pulled himself up, shaking even as he stumbled a few steps forward. Jonouchi wiped a bit of dust from his face as he straightened, before finally looking the woman in the eye. How...

 

How did he know what she was going to say?! "I don't know if you r'member my promise, S...Kaiba," he forced out, appearing oddly calm compared to what was probably the norm. "Hell, th' way you're going, I don't even think you r'member my name!" Jonouchi coughed, his target rendered silent from the brief shock of being interrupted with her own words. She really had forgotten his name too... How... How did he know that...? "But I'll tell y' this," the blond continued on, "I don't care what you think or say about it..." Seto watched as the teen picked up his duel disk, before throwing it over to her. Catching the disk in her free hand, the woman listened with blank and almost wide eyes. "I don't intend t' break that promise... Even if I have t' die for it!" Promise...

 

What promise! She knew there was a promise but what was it! She stared, eyes narrowing somewhat as those behind Jonouchi nodded in response. How did this moron manage to, in a few seconds... "That's right," Anzu was saying angrily, the woman stepping forward with an intense glare. "Don't think you know anything about what Jonouchi has been going through... Mokuba might be your brother," she spat, rendering the Seto silent yet again at the mention of the boy, "But I don't recall Jonouchi trying to kill him!" Kill... As Seto barely managed to hold the false image of apathy, the woman across from her continued on. "You weren't there when his life was at stake," Anzu bit out, Honda nodding in agreement from the side. "Jonouchi was! And we saw that! So don't think you can just run your mouth and get away with it..."

 

"That's right," another of the group said, Mai coming up to Anzu's side with a frown in the meantime. The white haired teen seemed rather confused at the mention of Mokuba's possible death, but even so he moved to speak. "After all, Jonouchi is-"

 

"Stop." Seto's eyes narrowed slightly, her exhaustion from before seeming all to real again. She felt dizzy. Almost dead on her feet. Memories from before hit her mind with Anzu's words, stabbing at her brain and playing with the holes in her memory. Death-T... After Yugi defeated Mokuba, she had initiated the penalty... "That's enough," Jonouchi was saying, the woman only dimly hearing those words. "Sh... He doesn' need t' have that thrown on top 'f everything else righ' now..." Mokuba...

 

No.

 

No she didn't. Seto grit her teeth as she pulled herself back into reality, before walking back over to the still open briefcase to pack up her duel disks. This wasn't the time... This wasn't the time to think of the past! "Gch," she muttered with a growl, refusing to look at either of them for the moment. That woman... To even suggest that Jonouchi was more of a sibling... She...

 

She wouldn't be replaced. She would save Mokuba... She would make it up to him, somehow, some way... Even if she didn't deserve it. "So what," she bit out, Jonouchi tensing in response. If Mokuba really did choose a mutt over her... Then so be it! It... It was her brother's choice, and she wouldn't blame him for it. But there would be hell if she simply sat by and leave her brother to die! "Everyone has some reason to fight, something to believe in... But it doesn't change how strong you are! The only thing that matters," she continued to force out, closing the briefcase with a click, "Is whether you allow yourself to be crushed... Or if you continue to fight and protect those 'things'..." One chance. If Mokuba could give her one chance...

 

She would not throw that chance away, not as she had those years ago. Seto's eyes grew dim as she looked to the crowd yet again, frowning once more. Before her, Jonouchi was staring with a blank expression, as though fighting to say something. Yugi was sending a partial glare instead of his usual wide eyed stare, an odd thing to see.

 

And behind him, she was greeted with nothing but scowling faces. Hn... As though she expected anything else. The blond's name... If she had it right from the people calling him, and from the papers...

 

She could force herself to say it at least this once. "Jonouchi," she shouted, the teen in question jumping as Seto continued. Even the crowd seemed surprised at her use of the name after all the insults she'd thrown. Personally she was surprised she was using it, but really... He'd stopped the talking. That was worth something. "You'll regret battling me... Regardless of whether or not you say you aren't 'afraid' to fight, your eyes say otherwise. In fact I'm surprised you'll be able to stand up as a duelist..." She clutched her briefcase, turning away from the endless glares to head for the castle. That castle...

 

That was her destination, and nothing else.

 

"Do yourself a favor and remember that!"

 

"You..." It shouldn't have been surprising that Jonouchi was not the one to respond, but for some reason it was. Ignoring the sound of Yugi's voice Seto continued to walk away, the woman attempting to steel herself once more in her resolve. Mokuba... She had to get to him, get him away from this place. And no matter what, she would be the one to do it! She had to! To at least atone for what she'd done to him... "Kaiba!" The woman ground her teeth as Yugi continued to shout, finally stopping at his next words. "You're just the same as before," the boy was muttering, his expression unseen to her from behind. "Haven't you changed at all?" Tch...

 

Changed? There was a limit to the word. "Yugi," she growled, turning just slightly with narrowed eyes. And if he hadn't seen where that limit was, obviously he wasn't the person that even she thought he was. "Do you expect me to forget the past, grin like an idiot and join forces with you?" All this talk... Just let her do what she had come to accomplish! They'd made a deal, and she expected them to honor at least that! If he thought that his 'friendship' would overpower that... "Don't make me laugh," she bit out, before turning on them completely. Pathetic... Pathetic! That's what it was! "To this day, your so called friendship disgusts me!" At this, Yugi had nothing to say in response. No one did- after all, she'd made it clear she wasn't listening, hadn't she?

 

Still not another word, even after a moment's pause. And it would be better off that way! The woman turned her attention back to the castle, eyes narrowed. She had no time for this. Pegasus was the target, the only target! She would get her brother back and send Pegasus through hell for all that he had done.

 

Regardless of what anyone else had to say in the matter...

 

* * *

 

There was something to be said about just how messed up the world had gotten, particularly with those few moments alone. Six months ago he thought, Mokuba wouldn't have factored into things, would he? Instead they'd have probably missed the danger completely, much as he hated to say it. The fact was, had all this happened and he wasn't as close to the kid...

 

He'd have probably been more concerned with how 'bitchy' Kaiba was acting rather than with how believable her actions were. Perhaps he would have shattered her disguise on the spot. Katsuya bit back a grunt of pain as he held his bruising stomach, instead focusing on moving toward where Yugi was standing. "Yugi," he muttered quietly, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. The boy turned to him, and he continued. "Don't try t' convince he... Him otherwise, alright?" At the slight stare he got in response, he gave a weak smile. Yeah... Yugi still wanted the lady to stick with them... "S... Kaiba won th' bet, alright? An' we promised..." They had promised they'd let her leave no questions asked- and after pulling up memories of Death-T after she'd woken up just hours before, they owed it to her.

 

Seto appeared to have no intentions of leaving just at that moment however, and instead the group stood there in an awkward silence for a few moments. The wind blew through the trees and the crickets slowly began chirping again. Looking to the side briefly, Katsuya could spot his fallen cards in the moonlight now. He could grab them later he decided.

 

It was Seto who spoke first. Katsuya supposed it was better that then anyone questioning Anzu on mutterings of attempted fratricide which, given Bakura and Mai's expressions, looked to be something they were curious about. "Yugi," she said, addressing the boy yet again. Said boy blinked, turning to look at the woman's back with slight confusion. "...And Jonouchi," she added with seeming hesitance, to the likely surprise of the others. "Look over at that castle," she stated without turning, not even bothering to see if they were listening.

 

They were of course. At least, he knew that he and Yugi were...

 

Couldn't say if the others were listening really, though they probably were. That castle... That was where Pegasus was. Katsuya found himself swallowing as Seto continued speaking, thoughts on the American CEO vanishing for the moment. "On this island, duelists collect star chips to reach that castle... But they won't win," the woman stated with a slight growl, fists visibly clenching. "All they're doing is playing in the hands of the Duel Monster's 'God'!" Katsuya narrowed his eyes at that, frowning as Seto continued still onward. "Yugi... Even with your skill, you can't hope to defeat Pegasus. I've seen him duel once before in the past... And only once." Given the tone that Kaiba was using now...

 

Once was more than enough.

 

He blinked at the snort Seto gave with those words, the woman shaking her head as she stared at the castle. "If one could even call it that... As I assume you know, Duel Monsters was an instant success in the United States; multiple tournaments are held annually in that country, and the number of people involved are estimated to be around 20 million total..." 20 mill- Holy crap... Katsuya blinked, shaking his head. That was... Wow. What did that have to do with all this though? Sure, Pegasus was American but... "Among these players are a group of the country's top 13 duelists, known as the 'Card Professors'. Back then," the woman continued, expression still hidden from view, "The top of that group was a man named 'Keith Howard'... Nicknamed 'Bandit Keith' for the number of prizes he'd 'taken'," Seto added with a fairly dismissive and sarcastic tone. Clearly this 'Bandit Keith' wasn't worth much in her eyes.

 

Still, top player in all of the USA... Wow.

 

Nonetheless the woman went on, regardless of any commentary from behind. "Bandit Keith had issued a challenge to Pegasus... While he hadn't been interested initially, he abruptly changed his mind within seconds of announcing this, accepting the challenge under two conditions. First," Seto began, a foggy memory of some past event coming to Katsuya's mind with the words, "The prize for the match would be a million dollars. The second was that it would be held in a stadium of 50,000 people, and broadcasted nation-wide, with the earnings split among sponsors and TV stations involved." Ok... So that was the huge tournament in the states that Sugoroku mentioned at one time, but what was so important about that?

 

...Wait, wasn't a million dollars something like... 10,000,000 yen!?

 

Katsuya bit back a choke, forcing himself to keep listening. Holy shit... "I was invited as a guest," Seto was telling them, still staring at the castle with her backs to the group. "From the front row, I watched as Pegasus took the time before the match to gather children from the audience and teach them to play the game..."

 

* * *

 

She could remember the match clearly at that moment. Cheers had filled the seemingly endless room, and the lights from above had almost been blinding as she sat at the sides with her arms crossed. An entire crowd of kids had been pulled down into the arena, and at the time she had thought nothing of it, believing it to be no more than a publicity stunt. Pegasus had been giving endless words of encouragement to one boy in particular, who had commented on enjoying the game but not having any money to buy the cards with.

 

"Pegasus seemed attached to, in particular, one boy from that group," the woman continued, partially speaking to herself at this point. Genuinely attached, but then again Pegasus had been credited with a mass donation to orphanages many times before, even adopting a large number of children at that time. "He gave the boy a deck, and shortly afterward the duel began." And of course there had been a fair amount of snark from Keith at the beginning. Fair being the loosest of terms, given that all Pegasus had done was stare as Keith muttered on and on. A comment on the man's hair, sexual preferences, and standings all in one...

 

Personally, she'd just wanted the moron to prove his words on game skills true at the time, as he was really getting on her nerves.

 

"Keith shuffled and cut his deck, drawing cards to start the game... However in response, Pegasus did nothing. Instead, he began writing on a piece of paper..." Her eyes narrowed as she continued to stare at the castle in the distance. Regardless of what was real and what wasn't, there was one thing that had been proven to her that day... "In the next moment, he did something completely unbelievable- he called down the boy he had given a deck of cards, handing him the sheet of paper..." Keith had protested of course... Hell, the kid had protested!

 

But Pegasus had reassured the boy that if he followed the instructions on the paper, he would win.

 

No matter what happened. "He told him to follow the directions and duel in his place... Before taking a seat beside me at the sidelines." If what happened next had not proved it, what happened in the audience was enough to spark suspicion. More than enough in fact, she decided as she continued to recall the event.

 

_'Hello Kaibaboy!,'_ the man had said upon sitting down. She'd stared with a slight bit of shock of course- he'd just abandoned his duel and left it with a beginner, what else was she supposed to think? And then he'd turned, that wide smile still in place... _'Oh by the way, I took a look at your proposal_ ,' he'd said all too cheerily. This had gotten a fairly deep frown, not to mention confusion from her; she hadn't sent the proposal to the company yet after all.

 

In fact, she hadn't sent any proposals...

 

The only one she was even considering was only half typed in the office. However, Pegasus had pressed on, quickly proving that this wasn't a problem. ' _Duel Monster Simulation Boxes_ ,' he'd started with a grin. ' _What a great idea! I would love for my company and KaibaCorp to develop it together! Let's make it a reality!_ '

 

How the hell that man had known, she couldn't have guessed at the time. It took all she could to keep from fearing for herself after she did find out though. "Within one move, by simply following what was on that sheet, that small boy defeated Keith Howard- every strategy that he had thought of was on the sheet, and Pegasus managed to turn the entire duel into a joke and a commercial!" It was probably just her shock of the duel that saved her ironically...

 

Thanks to that, she'd probably avoided whatever mind-reading abilities Pegasus apparently had catching more than the emotion of disbelief. It had been unbelievable yes... Impossible...

 

Apparently not.

 

She had a solution though. "I don't know what kind of trick he used across that table..." Not to mention at the seats... And possibly every other time they'd met... "But... There's a possibility to win if I challenge him with this duel disk!" She had to win! If she didn't... "Yugi," she shouted, moving to follow what appeared to be a partially made path to the castle. "I'm leaving, to take back what I lost! And I will be the one to fight!" If she didn't win...

 

No one could.

 

As she walked, the response was nearly instant- for a brief moment, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, the wind seeming to blow behind her as a familiar tone of Yugi's voice came to her ears. "Kaiba," the other Yugi called, the woman turning with hidden surprise at the appearance. The one who had faced her those times before..! Her breath was caught in her throat as she listened, regaining her composure as quickly as it had threatened to fail her. "Just like you," the teen began, eyes narrowed "We too have precious things that we can't lose! And we will protect them!" As she looked at the determined expression on both Yugi's and Jonouchi's faces as well, the woman's eyes softened just slightly. This was the one who had put her into that coma...

 

And he was also the reason why she was here now, rather than ignoring her brother's danger. Yugi's expression...

 

Why did she feel she knew that look... "I'm going to beat Pegasus," Yugi shouted, and in response as she turned away, she had to smile.

 

"In that case," she decided as she walked off, managing to find herself oddly calm for at least a few minutes with those words, "Let me put it another way... I'm going to Pegasus' castle before you!" And with not a word more, the woman disappeared into the trees and out of sight. No more distractions...

 

This would end now!

 

* * *

 

And there she went...

 

Katsuya stared as Seto disappeared into the distance, before turning to his friend at the side. He hadn't expected the 'other' one to appear, but in the end from what he'd seen (or thought he'd seen at least), it was probably for the best. Yugi as well turned, giving the blond a slight smile before closing his eyes. A split second later...

 

And the eyes opened again, seemingly wider as a more innocent smile came into place. As quickly as the 'Other Yugi' had appeared, he was gone. "Jonouchi-kun," Yugi began, the rest of his words going unsaid. The smile faded out with worry, and he lowered his voice to a whisper. Behind him, Katsuya could hear Mai asking the others questions about the earlier conversation... Namely on the talk of brothers killing brothers, but either way. Ignoring that for now... "Are you..."

 

He smirked, shaking his head. Was he alright? Physically no. He probably had enough road-rash on his back to keep him sleeping on his front for a month. Nothing he couldn't handle though, so taking his current mood into opinion... "'M fine... Hell," he muttered as he rubbed his head, turning to look at the others. "I'm just surprised she isn't collapsing on the spot... 'S what th' doctors said she'd do at least..."

 

Yugi nodded, frowning slightly. He was probably running over those last words right now, wondering if that wouldn't end up happening. "If you say so. But... After all that she said... I mean, you spent all that time with Mokuba and-"

 

"An' she was sleeping through it all... Hate t' say it but... She kinda has a point I mean..." He bit his

lip, trying to find the right words to say. Man... He wasn't the one to talk about this kind of thing. At the same time though... "I don't like her attitude either, but Mokuba's in there and..." Katsuya frowned, staring at the ground for a few moments to gather his words before continuing. "Well, that was probably th' first thing she found out about waking up. If I woke up t' find out my little sister was taken, I'd probably be just as pissed..."

 

And it wouldn't be fair to say more or less to that. The blond scratched his head, looking at the others again. Mostly they were talking among themselves- Rather Honda and Anzu were trying to fill Bakura and Mai in on what the hell was going on. Bakura in question looked paler than he had before, while Mai was visibly green in the face.

 

"She's bitchy, I'll give y' that but... Fact is, there's still a line... I just didn' wanna cross it really." At the stare he got from Yugi, he shrugged. "Hey- we did promise right? An' She won..." As he said this, Katsuya's expression fell to a slight scowl. It really figured too... Stupid Blue-Eyes. If he'd gotten his metal claw card out, he'd have won too! "But hey! We're still gonna get there! Regardless of what that idiot thinks!" Or wants, he mentally added. Fact was, he was helping her if she liked it or not.

 

Another nod, and Yugi's mood seemed to pick up quite a bit with those words. Well. For now, Katsuya's head was clear. "Of course!" At least he wasn't too upset about it..? The boy turned back to face the others, walking over as he continued. "So..." As they came over the others turned to look at them as well. For the most part, the expressions were similar. Honda and Anzu seemed a little relieved more or less that he'd managed to survive not getting the snot beaten out of him for throwing a box of tampons at Seto. They probably thought it was an add-on to the joke at Death-T all that time ago.

 

Bakura seemed a little like he had shortly after the whole 'Monster World' fiasco, not that he blamed him. As for Mai... For a brief moment, Katsuya thought he saw something in Mai's expression when the woman spared him a glance... But just as fast as he'd seen it it was gone, the woman simply giving a light yawn before turning away. "Well... I think we've had enough excitement tonight, don't you think?" Er... Ok? He agreed of course but... Katsuya blinked, watching as Mai continued to walk off. "It's late- we need sleep..."

 

Well, anything to get off the current topic he supposed... Much as he'd expected Seto to say all that earlier, it did still sting a bit. And having an equal if not doubled amount of 'sting' thrown back at the woman wasn't sitting well on his conscience. "Nyh... Right..."

 

The others walked off as well, Yugi giving one last smile before heading off. "Jonouchi-kun," he said before he left. "...I..." The boy shook his head, laughing quietly. "Nevermind." Er...

 

What? Katsuya scratched his head, frowning slightly. Man, what was that about... The teen shook it off, sighing. Probably Yugi being Yugi... If something didn't seem right to say, he wouldn't say it after all. As for the others...

 

Well... He figured the other guys would be giving him weird looks. Hell, he'd probably be looking back at all this in the morning and give himself a weird look... How the fuck did he manage to keep a cool head the entire time? How was he keeping a cool head now!

 

"Man..." Moving off to the side to gather his fallen cards, he found himself looking back at the castle for a moment. Before she left... And when he'd summoned Red-Eyes, for a brief moment he'd thought he'd seen something... Something that forced his decision to play though and just let her walk off to the forefront. Thinking back now he thought as he gathered up the cards, reaching the last one only to pause, it was hard to believe...

 

But he could swear that she'd smiled.

 

Katsuya sighed again, grabbing his Red-Eyes Black Dragon before turning back to return to their 'campsite'. He needed to sleep this off, get his head clear for tomorrow... Things were just too damn confusing now, all this mind-reading Pegasus company take-over crap going on...

 

Way too confusing. In the end he decided, staring at the starry night sky a few minutes later as the others slept, it would all calm down if he just got some sleep. It had to he told himself, ignoring the sting against his back as he continued to lie on the ground. While he was sleeping...

 

Seto would be storming the castle wouldn't she? Hell, of course she would. She'd come in the middle of the night on a helicopter hadn't she? It was good... Not good that Mokuba was in this situation of course but...

 

At least he could safely say the kid got his sister back. Maybe if they were lucky, all this would be fixed in the morning... "Good luck, Seto-chan," he found himself whispering to the sky with a scarcely audible voice. Maybe...

 

Just maybe...

 

And a few minutes later, all that could be heard in the clearing was the sound of crickets and a calm breeze.

 

* * *

 

For a building so close to her landing site, it took far more time than she'd liked to get there. Maybe that 'path' had something to do with it. She'd had to walk around a lake after all. Or perhaps it was just all in the 'perspective' of things, or in the fact that rather than taking the wide 'road' from Pegasus' private docks she was taking the wooded trail. Either way she was here now.

 

And that was all that mattered.

 

Seto walked up the immense stone steps before her with a determined glare across her face, watch on her wrist reading '2:30 AM'. Pegasus' castle... She continued up the steps in silence, eyes taking constant glances to the side. She was being watched. From where, she could not tell but she was definitely being watched. Not that she really cared for the moment, given that she would be doing this the 'direct' way... Regardless of the guards up by the sides of the doors, she continued forwards.

 

She recognized one of them, she realized quickly. The woman's jaw tightened as she spotted the man she'd hired for Mokuba's care, but regardless of the moron's stuttering she made herself clear nonetheless. "Get Pegasus," she commanded rather bluntly, watching the two guards as they continued to stutter. "Tell him that Seto Kaiba is here to see him!" Before either guard could say a thing the immense steel door before them opened inward. There was nothing but darkness on the other side, the walls of the castle creating an endless shadow over the garden and courtyard within.

 

From behind the door, a grey haired, well dressed man walked through, clapping as he smirked. Hn... Pegasus' assistant. Seto narrowed her eyes as the man came forward, gritting her teeth as the clapping stopped. "Well, well, well," the man began, bringing his hands to the side. "Kaiba-san! This is a surprise," he muttered with a chuckle. "We weren't expecting you this late after all!"

 

Bullshit she thought mentally, leaving her expression blank. Two in the morning, they didn't have people like Crocketts come to the door the instant someone arrived. Hell, they shouldn't have been 'expecting' her at all, she certainly didn't make any contact...

 

Though given the state of things at the house... "Hmph," she muttered, barely keeping a growl out of her voice. It was expected after all, that information of her recovery leaked out already. "I'm so sorry your spies didn't kill me as expected..." Crocketts showed no visible reaction to those words, but she knew they'd made their mark. She knew damn well what was going on after all...

 

And he'd do well to realize that. The man gestured to the door, bowing his head before speaking. "Please... Come in," he requested. Giving a curt nod, Seto did just that, the doors closing behind herself and Crocketts with a 'clang'. Pegasus' garden courtyard... A door to each side, covered by an arch way, and a larger door at the end of the garden, leading to Pegasus' main quarters. "Now then, this is your second time on the island isn't it?" the man muttered as they walked, apparently attempting to start a conversation. "That's right, I remember now... You were invited here for the celebration held for the completion of the Battle Simulation Box!" He chuckled, the woman beside him simply gritting her teeth. "My, come to think of it you shared little more than perhaps two words with Pegasus-sama, that was very rude..." Tch!

 

"Enough chit-chat," Kaiba bit out with narrowed eyes. No time for this bullshit... She needed to get straight to the point! "I know you kidnapped Mokuba; now where is he?"

 

"What?" The old man merely held a cold smirk, chuckling. If he did that much longer she swore it, she would rip his god-damned teeth from his mouth right there... "Mokuba... Oh that's right, that's right... Your little brother..." Crocketts gave Seto an even darker smirk, adjusting his glasses as Seto seethed beside him. The briefcase in her hand was shaking just slightly under the tightened grip, and it was looking more and more like the man was digging his own grave. "'Kidnapped'... Please, why on earth would we do that? We have nothing to gain from doing such a thing! My my my..."

 

Her fists tightened, nails threatening to dig into her palms until they bled. In fact if the slight dampness on her left hand was any sign, she was cutting into her palms already. "Stop wasting my time!" she roared, watching as Crocketts merely walked a few paces ahead with that same moronic smirk in place. "And let me talk to Pegasus!"

 

Crocketts sighed mockingly, shaking his head. "Oh no no... I'm afraid that's quite impossible. Why," he stated almost jokingly as he held a watch out, either unaware of just how damned he was at the moment or simply confident in whatever protection he had. "It's almost 3 in the morning, Pegasus-sama is in bed... How about this," he asked, folding his hands over at his front. "I'll get a room for you... You can rest tonight, and then in the morning you can- GCKH!"

 

Seto snarled, grabbing the shirt of the man before her and cutting him off. He was pulled forward, eyes growing wide for a split second while Seto's own narrowed into mere slits. "I said I want to see him NOW," she muttered dangerously, grip tightening on the man's shirt. "I expect you to listen."

 

"Heh heh heh..." Even held by his shirt the man was still chuckling. Seto's jaw was clamped tightly, the woman ignoring Crockett's own struggling grip on her wrist. Moron... He had no idea just what kind of person he was dealing with, did he now? "I understand sir," he stated with a laugh, apparently immune to the woman's gaze. "I'll tell you where he is... Pegasus-sama is right behind the next gate... You can go on through any time you like..." There was a catch here. Crockett's was confident enough in his life to ignore any threats, there was a catch... "If you can open it..."

 

The woman narrowed her eyes, turning to look at the gate behind Crocketts. A padlock... She could easily get through th-

 

She frowned, dropping Crocketts rather roughly before walking forward to inspect it. Her fingers brushed against the shadowed lock for a brief moment, the woman squinting before the lock's shape became evident. This lock... "What in the hell..." What the hell kind of padlock was this! Ten star shaped holes lined the sides, and with grim realization her fists tightened. Of course... "The tournament..." That bastard had installed a padlock centered around...

 

Augh! "That's right," Crocketts stated from behind, arms crossed as he chuckled. If he kept going... "The only way to open this gate is to put ten starchips in the mechanisim. In other words," he continued, Seto forcing herself to not simply crack her briefcase over his skull right that moment, "Only the chosen few who survive the duels are allowed to pass beyond this point... You and I," the man continued, narrowed eyes barely visible behind his shades, "Are no exception." This man... She grit her teeth as Crocketts gave a seemingly mocking bow, gesturing to a door at the side. "Now if you don't mind Kaiba-san, there's a room for you in the annex..."

 

Gh...

 

"Please, step this way..."

 

* * *

 

Where he was standing was not the forest.

 

It was not the fields he'd dueled in earlier, nor the coast line that he'd eaten fish with Ryota on. It was not even the rooms of Kaiba's mansion, a building that he had as of late become rather familiar with.

 

Katsuya opened his eyes only to frown as his body moved forward on it's own volition, the teen unable to move even slightly with conscious will. "What th' hell..." His voice echoed around the hall he was walking as if distant from his very being, and Katsuya's eyes narrowed at the sight and sound both. Where was this place...

 

Photos hung on the wall but their images were faded and unclear, merely smudges of washed colour on a framed canvas. The walls were painted a rich creamy white, and the floors seemed just as blinding in colour, blood red carpets seeming to conform around his bare feet as he walked.

 

"Where is this?" His body was walking and he couldn't stop it. Doors passed by, every single one of them closed firmly shut, and not a single window could be seen. Occasionally he would pass a pedestal of sorts, a vase of flowers held in it. There was a pattern to these, he could tell from even the beginning of the trail- the first hall had hydrangeas, the second had mixed flowers including roses and snap dragons. The one he walked through now had tulips of every colour, and as his body turned the corner he was greeted with vases filled with roses.

 

"Where the hell is this!" he shouted, already frightened enough by the ghost-like feeling he had. It was like he was an intruder in his own body... Watching it move before him and leave the 'real one' behind. Colours were beginning to fade into blacks and whites, and the time seemed to drag on and on as he walked. The lights in the halls were dimming, becoming dark, as though they hadn't been there begin with. To the side he could make out a niche of sorts in the walls, a hair-thin line between the panels of the decorative moulding. His 'body' moved forward, opening a door from the crack and moving down through a small hole that had been revealed in its place. He had to duck to enter it...

 

But once he had he'd been able to stand instantly, passing through and down into the stairway below. "What..." Katsuya's frown deepened as he looked around the hall. It was dark, made of stone and

pounded dirt. The stairs looked as though they'd been carved from the rocks themselves, and torches rather than lamps hung from the sides of the walls. It was cold in here...

 

Damp and musky, with the scent of moist earth hanging in the air. As a series of barred doors came into view he had to shake his head. Where was this...

 

Where...

 

It was like a dungeon from those old time fairy-tales, with chains and shackles hanging from the walls and yet... His body stopped in front of an empty cell, the door hanging open. A small bit of light came down through the barred window in the room but he paid it no mind, a feeling of paranoia coming over him for the moment. He'd learned not to ignore this feeling...

 

Someone was behind him. "Who the hell-" He tensed, instantly turning to deliver a chop to the unseen person behind him. Whoever he met would be greeted with a hand across the tender areas of the throat, and would likely be on the ground gasping for air..!

 

But there was no one there. Not a soul, nothing but the air... "What the..."

 

"Hello Doggy-boy~"

 

Katsuya whirled, jumping back as the form of Pegasus stood before him. The man had his arms behind his back, a frightening smile on his face. The stuff of nightmares, that was for sure... Something to keep him up all night, so why wasn't he waking up...

 

"Oh don't worry... I'm not real," he said with a chuckle, hair pulled back to reveal that gleaming golden eye. "Or am I," he asked through the amusement, the blond across from him gritting his teeth. "Hard to tell, isn't it Doggy-boy?" Again with the dogs...

 

Though his body refused to respond, he would have been grinding his teeth if he could. "Gh... Don't fuck with me," he muttered, shaking his head. "This is a dream! Of course you aren't real!" Right? The man smirked, still chuckling.

 

"Of course I am... Of course... Tell me, 'Doggy'," he said with another laugh as Katsuya's body refused to respond. Pegasus seemed particularly creepy at the moment, more than he had in the video. Why was that... "How's your sister?" Shizuka-! "...And your 'brother'?" he continued, the teen across from him growling. Mokuba... "What about...Your 'girlfriend'..?"

 

His eyes widened and abruptly, all control returned to his body. Katsuya's teeth were ground in rage, and with nothing to hold him back anymore he charged forward to pin Pegasus against the wall. "You shut the fuck up!" he roared, not caring that Pegasus was showing no signs of resistance. "You shut up! We ain't in any kind of relationship, and I'm no replacement for Mokuba's older sister! He's a friend... Not a brother, got that! The only sibling he has is on her way to pick him up right now, and you aren't stopping her... You leave that kind of crap out of this, you got that you sick fuck?"

 

Pegasus merely continued with his laughter, apparently not caring that he was currently pinned against the wall by his neck. Not caring that at the moment, this 'dream' was acting as a fairly handy outlet for any pent up frustrations toward the man and simply staring at the blond with that same smirk.

 

"Hnhnhnhnhn... Really... You shouldn't get so worked up 'doggy-boy'... It's only a dream after all- Gh!" The man's throat was pushed tighter against the wall, Katsuya's eyes narrowed dangerously. And still Pegasus laughed, voice somehow coming through even with his throat crushed against the cold stone behind him. "Hahahaha... I wonder just what your 'friend' would say now... You wouldn't kill a figment of your imagination would you? I doubt even that would go over w-gkACK!"

 

"Where's Mokuba," the blond ground out, ignoring the words Pegasus was saying now. Screw all this, screw all the dream crap, the dueling, the star chips... " _TELL ME WHERE HE IS!_ " The laughter continued, accompanied by a low growl on the blond's part.

 

"Where is he...? I wonder myself..." Pegasus' single eye narrowed with cruel mirth, and to Katsuya's shock and rage he began to fade out of existence from beneath his very hands. "Did you check your deck maybe..?" As the teen's eyes narrowed in response Pegasus merely continued, smirk growing even colder as his body vanished to leave a single golden eye behind. "Or are you too afraid..?"

 

" _Katsuya-nii_ ," came a faded voice, the blond turning his eyes slowly to look at the ground. The golden Millennium Eye was staring down at him as he did this, and while it would ordinarily have scared him to the point of passing out he couldn't bring himself to bother. With wide eyes, he looked to what was there on the ground. A card...

 

There was a card there, and he could hear...

 

" _Katsuya-nii..._ " Numbly he picked it up, the image of steel bars gripped by a child's hands coming into view. The light through the window brightened just slightly and as colours returned to the room, he could see the familiar black mop of hair he'd grown used to seeing by his side for the last few months.

 

"N-n..."

 

" _Katsuya-nii_ ," Mokuba whispered, the image on the card unchanging. " _It hurts..._ "

 

"N-Nnn-gk... AA _AAUUUGH_!"

 

* * *

 

"HhhAUUUAH!"

 

Eyes snapped open to a clear blue sky, and as Katsuya sat up he found it hard to breathe.

 

In the distance birds chirped to welcome the morning, the sounds of snoring reverberating in the air at his side. "Hah... hah... hah..." Just a dream...

 

It was all just a dream...

 

The blond leaned against the tree he'd slept by, one hand on his chest as he calmed himself down. Just a dream... That was it, it was just a dream... Nothing more, nothing less, nothing had happened...

 

_'Did you check your deck,_ ' came Pegasus' haunting voice, chuckling filling his thoughts. N...

 

Mokuba... Kastuya gripped the pendant around his neck, pulling himself up to look at the small key-shaped indent on the lid. _'Or are you too afraid!_ '

 

"Gh..." He took a few deep breaths, shaking it off. His skin was all cold and damp. Clammy was the word for that right, he got it from when 'training' moved to 'first aid'... The blond found himself looking over the others as they slept, eyes landing on Yugi. "..." Looking at him now, no one could guess all the crap they'd been going through. That _Yugi_ had been going through really. A calm smile, hands holding the puzzle even in his sleep...

 

Nothing but an innocent (mostly he supposed, recalling a few 'penalty games') friend who had been pulled into a large amount of crap. He couldn't be scared, he told himself with a small smile. He couldn't! If Yugi could unflinchingly go through battle after battle, when he was just a tiny little guy...

 

He could too! He had to, he decided as he pulled away from the trees to look up at the early morning sky. For Mokuba's sake... And if things ended up going awry, then for Seto-chan too, no matter what she said...

 

He wasn't going to lose... No matter what!

 


	9. Call of the Haunted

He didn't know how long he'd stood staring at the lake that morning. After waking up, the sun was only just peeking out from the horizon, and after the night before he'd decided to let the others sleep, wandering off to think. The lake was as smooth as glass at the moment. Calm, peaceful...

 

You wouldn't expect a creepy guy with a gold eye that stole souls to own it would you?

 

The blond sighed, leaning back on the grass and staring at the sky for a little longer. As morning had come he hadn't heard anything or anyone- not even a rustling bush. It was a little unnerving at first, but after taking a bit of time to sit there it was more relaxing than anything else. There was a reason he was there though he told himself as he got up and stretched.

 

Might as well wake up the others he decided, walking back through the brush and cracking a few kinks out of his neck. Breaking through the foliage separating the last clearing from their own, he shook a few leaves from his hair before turning to his still snoring friends. "Oi!" Cupping his hands, Katsuya shook a few more leaves off of himself and shouted from across the clearing. A few people stirred, and he continued as he came close. "It's morning! Wake up guys!" Muttered grumbling filled the air, and the blond grinned. "Last day of th' tournament, come on! Let's go win duels and get starchips!"

 

From the side, Honda yawned, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "Hnnn... Sleepy..." Yeah, and yet he was the one snoring louder than the helicopter the night before...

 

Katsuya's grin merely widened as the others sat up, and he laughed. "Come on, come on! Up we get, we gotta get t' Pegasus' castle!"

 

Beside him Yugi laughed quietly, rubbing his head as he packed his things up. "Wow... Somebody's excited," he muttered, gaining a look from Katsuya in response. Course he was it was the last day... "Not that that's a bad thing!"

 

Before Katsuya could say anything on the matter, Bakura drew their attention to him with a slight cough. Regardless of whether it was intentional or not, the ended up following his gaze to the castle in the far distance. "I wonder if Kaiba made it to the castle last night," he muttered, a light frown on his face. From behind the teen, Katsuya fell a little silent at that.

 

Had she made it..? It had probably been a few hours since she got there. As he thought about this Anzu walked over from the side with a large bag. "Ah," she smiled, adjusting the large sack as the others turned toward her. "You're awake!" They stood, Yugi moving over to greet the woman with a grin.

 

"Oh, hey Anzu!" While the two entered into a fairly lengthy conversation on something or other (he couldn't hear them), Katsuya found himself approached by Honda.

 

"Nyh..?" He blinked, idly noting that the 'ni' in 'nihon' on his headband was faded out. So now they had half of 'Japan' on a good luck headband, that was always great... "Honda, what-"

 

The teen held up a hand, shaking his head. He had a frown on his face, his mouth half open before he shook his head again. "Hang on," he muttered blearily, scratching his head under the headband. "There was something I wanted to say... Gotta remember what it was." Ahahaha... Yeah.

 

Katsuya looked around as Honda continued muttering to himself, before frowning. Mai wasn't there. Weird, she'd left a giant bag of stuff... "Oi... Where did 'shiranui-san' vanish to this time..?" At the confused frown Honda gave him, he smirked. "You know... Kujaku! The one y' keep staring at!"

 

"Ah-" Honda blinked, a thick blush coming over his face before he frowned. "Good question," he said, coughing as he looked over the clearing. "I guess she just left before us... She did say 'until morning' really." The teen shrugged, going back to his head-scratching with a frown. "Man, there was something I was gonna say, what was it..."

 

From behind Anzu tapped Katsuya's shoulder, the blond turning. Honda was still trying to figure out what he was going to ask... It'd probably take a while, if he managed it at all. "Eh?" The woman had a light frown in place, and had slung the bag over her shoulder.

 

"I was going to ask you last night, but in the end getting sleep seemed more important..." Her eyes narrowed, expression of a frown becoming more of an unimpressed stare than a glare. "But what was it that possessed you to throw that box at Kaiba?" The tone she held seemed more incredulous than angered thankfully. Though all the same, it had Katsuya laughing nervously in response. Apparently, this was just what Honda needed to remember what he was talking about as well.

 

"Right! Wanted to ask you about that..." The blond turned back to him, blinking as what looked almost like an expression semi-awe came to replace his light scowl. "Well. Wasn't what I was going to say of course," he said with a cough. "But still... You," the teen continued, "Have balls doing that- did he even remember that comment from Death-T?" Honda added with a raised eyebrow, frowning again. "The estrogen one, with the PMS..?"

 

"Er... Not sure but..." Katsuya coughed, attempting to find a safe way off the topic. "...Thanks..?"

 

Anzu rolled her eyes, lightly smacking Honda over the head with a growl before turning back on Katsuya. "This isn't exactly something to continue doing! You were probably only saved by the fact that Kaiba has 'better things to do' than toss you in a lake... As it is," she added with a slightly more worried stare, Honda in the meantime gaining a slightly more embarrassed frown at the reminder of last night. "You do work for the guy..." Yes...

 

Yes he did. Katsuya scratched his head, laughing nervously. He hadn't even meant the joke in the first place, and it was close to biting his ass. "Eh... I'll handle it when I have to..." He coughed, turning as Bakura came up to them.

 

"Are you guys all packed," he asked with a small smile, his own bag loosely slung across his shoulder. He seemed a little more nervous than usual. Probably a combined result of both last night's duel and the ring thing. Hihhh...

 

There was a nod from most of the others in the group, Katsuya included; not like he'd brought much outside of his own jacket after all. "Yeah," he said with a nod, grinning. "Lets go!" As to where they were going...

 

They looked around, eventually starting off on a mindless walk through the woods. "I wonder how many duelists are left on the island," Bakura was absently asking. "There were twelve in the boat we saw yesterday..."

 

Honda nodded, frowning. "Yeah... And there's probably loads more that were picked off by the Player Killers last night..." The teen went slightly green in the face with those words, having remembered Yugi's comments on the one that he'd encountered the previous night. Dead or alive... They were gone, but if the words from the 'Player Killer of Darkness' were any sign... "There's probably only a handful left," he continued, before looking at Jonouchi and Yugi both. "In any case, we still have a whole day left... The important thing is to be careful who you face off for your remaining chips- it's not that hard to go backwards really.."

 

Sheesh, he thought he didn't know that? Either way, it was a good point. It only took one duel to go from the 'starting amount' to four, so if he lost one...

 

From beside him Yugi was nodding in agreement, having almost lost all of his own against the player killer the night before. "That's right... But at the same time," he added, expression of slight worry still in place, "We can't take too long- it's all over when enough duelists collect ten starchips before we do, and I heard only four people can reach the castle..." Only four?

 

Hnn... The teen scratched his head, frowning. "And th' remaining duelists are all people who made it through th' first day and th' player killers both..." Well shit, only four? Yugi nodded yet again, turning to face the path ahead.

 

"Yeah... They have to be even stronger than yesterday!" Urgghh... "Y-Yeah..." For some reason, his dream was coming back to him with that comment... Pegasus' words... ' _Did you check your deck? Or are you too scared?_ ' What the hell was so scary about his deck though...

 

Maybe it was something else? God...

 

Honda chuckled from the side, apparently spotting the less than cheery mood his friend was in. "Oii, Yugi! Better stop talking, looks like this guy's turning into a chicken here!" A chicken? What!

 

"Tch! Who're you callin' a chicken you moron! I ain't th' one running away from vines!" He reeled on the teen, the two quickly entering a fairly awkward fist fight that had one hand pulling Honda's lips back and said teen's foot against Katsuya's chest.

 

"G-Gh! Yu urr shoo shkered!"

 

"What was that," Katsuya said with a grin, ignoring the slight bit of slobber that was covering his fingers. "Couldn't hear yah through all that 'hand'!"

 

Anzu rolled her eyes before walking over to smack them both on the back of the heads. With a loud 'OW!', the woman pulled them apart, shaking her head with a sigh. "Really guys, this isn't the time for fighting... Can't you two just calm down for two seconds, I feel like I'm babysitting..."

 

He snorted, giving a shrug and turning to the others. "Hn! Whatever..."

 

The blond coughed, and though he was still a little pale from the reminder of his dream, he forced a grin on his face. "Like I said, I ain't scared- no matter who stands in my way, I'll take 'em all down, got it?" The others nodded, Yugi in particular grinning in response.

 

"That's the spirit," he shouted, continuing forward. "Don't worry about a thing Jonouchi!"

 

"I-I wasn't worrying!"

 

"You tell 'em Jonouchi..." As Honda ducked a swipe from the blond, he laughed. "Man... I can't wait till someone with a zombie deck challenges you! That'll make my entire day!"

 

At he mention of zombies, Katsuya quickly froze, giving an involuntary shudder. "Hihhh... Zombies..." Don't even joke about that...

 

Yugi laughed beside him, shaking his head. "I... I doubt you'll run into someone with only zombies... They wouldn't get a field bonus I don't think, so it's more likely that we'll encounter decks with field advantages..." He better... Behind them, Bakura nodded as well.

 

"That's right... But all the same, if someone does have a deck like that..." He paused, Katsuya only serving to become more nervous at the next few words. "Well, they would have been strong enough to fight through a disadvantage so far wouldn't they?"

 

"Engggh..." As Katsuya continued to rub his head, he attempted to shake it off. Please let Bakura be wrong, please please please... He sighed, before continuing on with the others on their walk. "Right... Anyways..." The blond looked around, frowning. "Wonder where the other duelists are..."

 

As he continued to frown, Yugi also mimicked the expression. "Hnn... That's a good question. It's already 10 but we haven't seen anyone..." And he hadn't seen anyone earlier in the morning, before they woke up... He'd have thought that at least one person would have passed them. Weird...

 

Katsuya narrowed his eyes, slowing down just slightly as an eerie feeling passed over him. No one had passed them but he felt almost like someone was following him. Watching them from the sides, like someone on a stake out. He shook it off, turning to the others. "Ah... Hang on a sec guys, I gotta take a leak..." Maybe he'd figure out what was going on while he did that, who knew...

 

Either way though, he should probably calm down. Walking off into the trees as a small chorus of 'alright's and 'ok's faded behind him, he held back a frown. Nothing was wrong, he told himself as he found a secluded tree. Nothing was wrong. It was just him and the forest here, and even if there was someone else no one would be an asshole enough to take him out while he was answering nature's call. There was complete silence as he stood there, and even as he was zipping the fly back up he was still going over that silent mantra.

 

"Hah..." Maybe it was nothing... Felt somewhat relaxing now that that was over with at least. "That's much be- _MNBP_!"

 

A hand was clamped across his mouth, his words cut short as one of his arms was restrained by the same hand that covered his face. The teen quickly slammed his free elbow back against the gut of his captor, one of his feet slamming down on the other's toes at the same moment. A muffled 'GNH!' was released as a result, the arm loosening its grip to allow Katsuya to turn around on his would be captor with a scowl.

 

"Tch... Sneakin' up on a guy while he's taking a piss!" A left punch was delivered to the man's jaw, the attacker caught slightly off guard by the move and pain both as he held up a weak block. "Try fightin' fair y' asshole!" He froze as rustling came from behind, and just as quick as he turned he found himself stuck on the side of the neck. "GACK!.. Woooaaaah fuck..."

 

The teen stumbled slightly, vision blotted out for a few seconds and leaving him light headed against the rush of pain. Ahhhh shit.

 

Shit!

 

He felt someone grab him in the same position from behind as before, a second arm grabbing his free one this time. The blond blinked rapidly, recovering from his slight blackout only to find that while his original attacker had his mouth and arms, two others had his legs. "MNNGG!" He attempted to struggle against the hold, only to find that the combined efforts of the three were just a little too well balanced for him to take on. "GNNN!"

 

"Alright!" the red-head was shouting with a grin. Katsuya's neck throbbed painfully as he looked at his captors with a glare, trying as best he could to kick the bespectacled teen in the face. Sadly with one leg at one end and one at the other, his currently pinned arms and legs did him little good. "It actually worked! Just like the movies!" Just like th- Oh right, the knife-hand strike they'd gotten him with...

 

God damned rats, taking him from behind with something like that...

 

"We got him," the shorter one was saying, pale skeletal appearance briefly giving Katsuya an unwanted chill. "We got him!"

 

The blond continued to attempt at an escape, little more than muffled shouts escaping his mouth. "MMNG!" He snarled, glaring at the captors with wide eyes. Let him go let him go let him the _fuck out now_! "MNNGGMP!" Trees passed by, and for a split second he thought he saw a skull on the ground. Katsuya went limp briefly, a shudder passing through him. Oh god...

 

Was that a-

 

"We're almost there," the tallest of the group was saying, Katsuya's eyes moving back upward with a growl. The shorter of the three had taken advantage of his limpness, letting the blond's leg drag across the ground as he ran forward. "KEITH," he shouted, the red head from before moving to drop his other leg and grab his arm. They'd entered a cave of sorts. A dark winding series of tunnels with skeletons lining the walls themselves. The light in there was dim, he could barely see a thing.

 

As they moved deeper in the cave, a voice came from the side. "Good," a rough and almost slurred voice shouted. It sounded broken almost, as though the one speaking had lost all focus... Or maybe he was just recovering from a hangover. "Throw him in the duel box," the man commanded, and as he was roughly shoved in the chair Katsuya continued to struggle. Damn it... These guys had a pretty solid grip on him!

 

Across from him, the shortest of the group took a seat, grinning maliciously. "Hnhnhnhnhn... We've been saving a seat for you..." Yeah he bet!

 

"Gnnnh... Who the fuck are you guys!" He wrenched his arms back, grabbing the side of the chair only to freeze. He'd planned on beating the crap out of these guys and running but... "H-Huh..." He stared through the glass of the duel box, the sight of an endless pile of skulls and bones greeting him. The

only light in the cavern was melted candles on the skulls, the walls themselves made of stone and bones and coffins with the occasional rat scurrying through while from the ceiling dripped a black watery substance which pooled around the pile in a mock up of blood and... and...

 

"A...AAAAAAUUUUUGGGHHH!"

 

* * *

 

He could hear voices.

 

Katsuya's vision had gone completely black, his senses dulled. Where was he? There was something wet on his face and hands, and the air reeked of... Something. Something stale and cold... Something that made him feel nauseous...

 

 _'Hey you,_ ' he heard in the distance, before a stinging pain across his face brought him back to reality. "DON'T WASTE OUR TIME!"

 

"G-! OW, WHAT THE-!" Katsuya cursed, shaking his head as he looked up. What the- He narrowed his eyes, frowning as he turned on the one who slapped him. Great... He'd woken up to an attack! Where was this? Who was this? He snarled, grabbing the man who slapped him rather roughly by the shirt and slamming him against the glass wall. "Hey! What the hell was that about?" This wasn't the field or the forest... Hell this wasn't anywhere he recognized, but as he curled his free hand into a fist and pulled it back he didn't care.

 

At least until he spotted what was behind his target. This...

 

This was.. He halted his plan to punch through the man's face and froze, looking down at the rows and rows of skulls below and behind the glass. This was sure as hell not somewhere he wanted to be right now. "G-Ghk... W-Where... Where is this," he managed to force out with a slight whimper, eyes growing wide as he released his grip on the man before him. He stumbled back, shaking his head as the blood drained from his face. "H-Hhh..."

 

From the other side of the table, dark chuckling echoed around the room. Katsuya scarcely realized that all three of the people who had taken him now stood at that side of the table, and the only thing that told him why he was there was the next few words from the kid across from him. "You're in the crypt," he said chillingly, his own pale visage making him look almost identical to the skeletons in the background. "A hidden duel monster's arena! Hehehehehe..." A... A crypt! He swallowed nervously, and the boy across from him continued to explain. "This cave is haunted by the spirits of soldiers killed in the pacific war... Ghosts are all around you... You can't hide from them!" A chilling feeling came over him, and Katsuya took a shuddering breath. "Now," the boy shouted, "Let's start the game! DRAW YOUR CARDS!" Oh god...

 

Oh god... Damn Honda, why did that moron have to be right...

 

Scared...

 

He numbly pulled out his deck of cards, placing them on the table with a swallow. He was royally screwed right now- of that, he was pretty sure. Slowly he grabbed the chair to pull it back from the table and take a seat, refusing to look at even the board. With only a glimpse he'd seen holographic graves and coffins, and a few of the 'gravesites' didn't even have anything more than a hole!

 

G-Gh...

 

"Hnhnhnhnhn..." The boy across from him continued to chuckle, pulling out a handful of starchips from his glove and placing them on the table. "We'll both bet all our starchips," he stated, Katsuya wondering for a brief moment how he knew he had the same number as he did, "Put all four on the board!"

 

He could hear his heart beat.

 

 _Ba-Thump... B-Thump... B-Thump_ ...

 

A dull clink as he pulled the start chips out with shaking fingers, placing them on the board. The two who had aided in his capture stood outside the box, but directly behind his opponent was a tall and presumably American man who at the moment was leering down at him with an eerie chuckle. A chuckle that seemed almost familiar to tell the truth...

 

' _Where is he I wonder,'_ came Pegasus' voice again, pounding through his ears alongside his heartbeat and the dull clinks of starchips as they hit the table. ' _Perhaps your deck? Or are you too scared?_ ' God damn it... This was going to kill him!

 

' _You're too weak to stand on your own two legs,'_ came Seto's voice, Katsuya grinding his teeth in response. And now _she_ was yelling at him in his head too? What was this, some kind of medical condition he randomly acquired for being a jerk in early life? ' _...But even then, I expect you to keep your promise..._ ' His promise...

 

Damn it! He steeled himself, forcing himself to draw his hand and look across the table. He had to ignore the bones. Ignore the zombies. Fuck all that! He had to fight! If he ran now, then how the hell was he supposed to continue through this tournament? How the hell would he keep that promise he'd made before? If he let this get to him...

 

How would he be able to look Yugi, or Seto, or Mokuba in the eye? "Let's go," he managed to grit out, attempting to clear his head. The kid across from him, he'd seen him before but where... "DUEL!" Zombies... The kid probably had zombies, so where had he seen him... From outside the box, the group was shouting their encouragement for his opponent, Katsuya catching the name 'Kotsuzuka' amid the shouts. Ko...Kotsuzuka? As in... Grave! He swallowed, face growing paler still. Shit... He knew this guy! He'd seen him on the semi-finals of the National Tournament... 'Ghost Kotsuzuka' of Tokushima!

 

Shit. He was against a semi-finalist with zombies of all things! He had to ignore them... Just play his cards and trust in the deck... "Alright... Here's my first card," he shouted, picking a monster from his hand. It wasn't too bad a draw. Not too many strong monsters, but most of them were pretty good. "Take this! Axe Raider!" The card was slammed on the table, the dark skinned warrior slowly fading into existence. The raider hefted his weapon upon one shoulder, leering at his opponent from across the field before falling into a more prepared attack stance.

 

Kotsuzuka's response was to merely smirk at the monster from behind his cards. "Axe raider huh," the boy muttered as he looked over at the monster. "Looks just like a plain old common warrior card..." Katsuya growled in response to the comment, and his opponent merely laughed. "Nothing for me to worry about... Alright! I play this," he shouted, grabbing at one of his cards. "Prepare for... Medusa's G-"

 

The man from behind Kotsuzuka interrupted the move, shaking his head. "Hold on a sec kid..." Katsuya frowned, as did Kotsuzuka, turning in response to the sound as the man continued. "Don't play that card... Play the one on the very left!" Tch... Backseat driving? What the hell! The blond grit his teeth as his opponent looked over the card, growling. Cheating little twitch... What was it that a semifinalist of all people had to cheat for though? "Hehehe," the man was chuckling, and as their voices lowered to a whisper Katsuya continued to scowl.

 

"Hey, you," he shouted, eyes narrowed. If 'Ghost', who was 'fourth' in all of Japan was taking his advice, it couldn't be good for him after all. "Fight me by yourself y' coward! Stop asking yer pals from the sidelines to make your move!" Kotsuzuka grit his teeth, turning back to the field with an oddly suspicious expression. Huh... So even he was doubting his 'friend's advice then?

 

"I play Zanki," he shouted, the blond across from him frowning. Zanki... He recognized that card, that was... "Attack Mode!" A samurai-esque warrior appeared, slightly smaller in size compared to his own axe raider. 'Zanki' drew his katana and held it forward, silently taking a fighting stance with a scowl. That was just a normal warrior card, that wasn't a zombie. Alright... Kotsuzuka had just set a monster weaker than his own on purpose. And.. It... Wasn't a zombie.

 

Whatever.

 

It was his turn again, and Katsuya frowned slightly as he drew his card. Shake it off he told himself, forcing his frown to lighten up. Just shake it off. Whatever the the point was, this monster was weaker than his own by 200 points! "My turn," he said with a nod. "BATTLE! Axe raider strikes," he shouted, the raider doing just that as he charged forward. There was a thunk as Zanki's head toppled to the ground, Katsuya's frown still in place. "SHIPPUGIRI! He kills the samurai!"

 

Across from him, Kotsuzuka was wincing as the body of his monster collapsed with a twitch before sinking into the ground and out of sight. "Gh..." Even with that though, the guy behind him had a smirk in place. What was he up to... One move in and he already had a feeling that he was essentially facing the American rather than the kid... But why didn't he just challenge him himself then?

 

Damn it. There was something up here, but he'd have to ignore it and hope it wasn't anything too serious. Besides, he thought as a grin came into place. He was already in the lead wasn't he? Two hundred points! "Haha! Yes!" So long as he held that position, he'd be out of here as quick as possible, and he wouldn't have to worry about any more of this creepy undead crap. "Pick a grave, any grave," he shouted, leaning on one of his arms. "I win!"

 

Across from him Kotsuzuka was growling, a scowl set deep on his face. Well, at least there wasn't any immediate danger in killing the monsters. Definitely nothing that was coming to his opponent's mind with that scowl.

 

"Hehehe... What's the matter, 'Spooky'?" The grin widened as his opponent's scowl deepened still more. "Your side's empty- play your next card!" The boy nodded stiffly, still gritting his teeth as he drew from the deck. As he placed the card in his hand and moved to make a play however, he was again interrupted by the American behind him.

 

"No," the man hissed, eerie smirk still in place. Damn it not again... "The second card from the left..." Mutterings died out in sound once more and regardless of Kotsuzuka's visible confusion, the boy was nodding.

 

"Got it," he muttered as he grabbed the card as instructed. "I play the crawling dragon in defense mode..." Defense mode... Well, that made sense he supposed. He drew a card for his turn, before sending his monster forward. Another 'normal' monster... A dragon, also an oddity for the 'Ghost's deck.

 

"Alright then... Axe Raider," Katsuya shouted, the monster coming to attention with those words. "Chop it up!" The warrior rushed forward, taking a leap in the air before slamming the axe down across the dragon's skull. Though far larger than his opponent, the dragon let out a mourning roar before hissing out of existence. At Kotsuzuka's fallen expression he had to grin, regardless of the fact that there was no change in lifepoints. "Ahaha... Yeah! I'm good!"

 

Across from him Kotsuzuka was growling, the man behind him whispering something in his ear yet again. The boy drew from his deck once more, shaking as he slammed a card on the table. "Gh... My next card is this! Crass Clown!" Wait... Another one? The clown appeared atop a spinning ball, swinging his scythe dangerously.

 

Katsuya snorted at the monster, drawing a card again and grinning. "Hah," he shouted, looking at the very much 'living' monster as the grin widened. "Then I play the Flame Swordsman!" The red-robed warrior appeared to the field in a flurry of flames, and again the blond led an attack. "Go back to the circus, carny- it's on!" As his opponent winced, Flame Swordsman held his sword forward, the blade glowing brightly as it charged an attack. "TOKI ENZAN KEN !" A whirl of flames escaped the swordsman's blade, and as the warrior struck the clown's chest there was an ear-splitting wail. Fire erupted on the spot, and within seconds the clown was merely ashes with a blackened scythe.

 

Kotsuzuka's life points in the meantime, had dropped by a full 450 points.

 

"And the clown is gone!" Alright... He watched as Kotsuzuka continued to growl, the boy's eyes beginning to fill with fear in the same instant. Alright! He could do this. He could win! He had almost double Kotsuzuka's lifepoints...

 

He could do this! Katsuya steadied his breathing as he caught sight of the skulls around them again, suppressing a shudder. Before this fight, he'd been relying on Yugi to some extent. Even against Ryuzaki he'd only won with the encouragement of Yugi and the others... But this time... He swallowed, gritting his teeth. He'd trust in his own instincts, and win on his own... and in the process, he'd get over this weakness of the undead he had!

 

...Somewhat.

 

He probably would never be able to actually look at these things without getting a creepy feeling really.

 

"Oii, you three," he called, the two outside the box blinking as he looked their way. Whether or not they could hear him he didn't know. Not like he'd been awake enough to see speakers. "How about after I beat your friend you all fight as well?" He paused, before adding with a somewhat weaker tone, "...In a different arena." Different location was definitely a must, definitely.

 

While those outside merely frowned, proving his theory on being unheard, the American among the duelists grinned. Kotsuzuka had drawn his next card... Suddenly, Katsuya's blood ran cold, as the man was looking at it with a loud laugh. "Yeah," he said, his grin growing even wider. "Why don't we," he 'asked', the grin widening to a frightening 'slasher smile'. "Heheheheheh..."

 

Abruptly, the boy in front of him gasped, his sour expression instantly replaced with a grin. Shit...

 

Not a good expression for his opponent! "Ahhh! Now I get it," he shouted, the blond frowning in response. Get what... What the hell happened? "Keith was waiting for me to draw this card!" Keith? So that was the man's name? Definitely American then. And... What card? 'Keith' merely continued to laugh, grinning.

 

"That's right," he said as he leaned back, Katsuya swallowing nervously in response. Suddenly he wasn't feeling so sure of himself... Hell, suddenly, every bone in his body was saying to brave the skeletons and just bolt. "Now, play your trump card!"

 

Ok, now he really wasn't feeling sure of himself! Trump card? That was never a good sign!

 

"Get ready," Kotsuzuka shouted with a haunting cackle, "It's all over with this card!" The card was tossed on the table, an eerie violet mist seeping out from it. The fog swirled out from the card, and Katsuya paled, as it filled Kotsuzuka's side of the table. "The rare magic card, Call of the Haunted!" Call of the...

 

There was a loud crunching noise, and Katsuya's eyes widened as the dirt across the field began to shift, the fog seeping into the soil on the table. Call of the Haunted... Wasn't that a zombie movie? One that involved... Dead... Things..? He drew back as another crunching, squelching noise came through the air, accompanied by a moan. The fog began to clear as the sounds continued, and Katsuya's breath was caught in his throat before he could scream. Oh god...

 

Oh god! A clawed foreleg came tearing through the earth, and to the side a rusted scythe. Ragged flesh covered with moth-eaten clothing followed as wings that were no more than a few strands of muscles on bone followed suit. At the far left a helmet was tossed through a hole, before a broken and rotted armored corpse following. With nothing but a cracked spine between its armor, the warrior knelt to pick up his fallen head and replace it atop the creaking bone. Across from him, Kotsuzuka merely chuckled at his opponent's frozen horror, those behind him joining in.

 

"Hehehehe... Call of the Haunted brings all my monsters back as un-killable zombies," he shouted with a laugh. Un... Un-killable..? "And now that they're zombie cards, they gain the field power bonus from the graveyard!" Bonus! He balked, recalling how close in power most of the monsters were to his own as it was. That put... That put all of the monsters save the _god-damned clown_ higher in attack power! God damn it, he mentally whined as Kotsuzuka send his dragon zombie forward with a cackle. Why the hell did it have to be zombies! Of all the times!

 

His Axe Raider of course put up a fight against the dragon. How could he not, it was a shambling corpse! But as the axe slammed into it's face, the wound healed up right before its eyes. That... That wasn't supposed to happen, it was a rotting corpse it...

 

It...

 

Corpses didn't heal! "Hahahahahha! You can't hurt the undead," Kotsuzuka was shouting with a grin, the blond across from him swallowing in fear. "No matter what you do, they'll come back!" The zombie dragon gave a low growl, appearing to grin at the topic of its new found immortality as it raised its head. "Prepare to die! _DEADLY ZOMBIE BREATH_!" Katsuya tensed as a noxious gas escaped the dragon's maw, surrounding the Axe Raider completely. For a moment there was no result, the Axe Raider simply slashing at the dragon in an attempt to force it back to his side of the field. Abruptly however, the monster chocked, gripping its throat as it collapsed to the ground with a dying gasp. The gas peeled his skin of his body, his flesh rotting from its bones as the gas eroded him to nothingness.

 

Gh... N...Not good...

 

"The axe raider is reduced to emulsified flesh in seconds," Kotsuzuka was shouting with a cackle, only serving to make his opponent grow even paler. The body was absorbed into the ground as the stench of rotted flesh hung in the air, and 'Ghost' continued to laugh manically. "Lets see what you do against my army of darkness!" Not good! Not... Good! Katsuya shuddered, teeth grinding as he stared at the rotting monsters before him. How the hell did he kill what was already dead! These things were already creepy enough as it was. And with the graveyard was powering them all up... "Come on, come on," Kotsuzuka was shouting from across the table. "It's your turn! Unless," he said with a laugh, grinning. "You're scared again?"

 

He growled, eyes narrowing. No way...

 

He wouldn't let this stop him! "What? Scared?" The blond swallowed, forcing back the truth in the statement and steeling himself for the duel. "I'm a duelist," he stated with uneasy breath, shaking slightly as he gripped his few cards. "And a real duelist doesn't run from something like zombies!" Regardless of how fucking creepy they were. Rotting corpses and ghosts and... And... Hihhh! Kotsuzuka merely laughed louder, as did those outside the glass duel box.

 

"Hahahahha! Whatever you say... Just don't start foaming at the mouth again!" F-Foaming? He didn't foam at the mouth!

 

...Then again there was something wet on his face earlier...

 

Katsuya scowled, drawing his card. "Tch... I'll make you guys foam at the mouth you..." He looked the card over, still growling. Nothing much, but since the clown was still relatively weak... "Here! Take this y' un-dead bastards... My card!" He placed it on the field, before pointing the monster forward as it appeared in a flash. Armored scales shimmered into existence, and a green, draconic man took his stance on the field with a growl. "Rotten creeps... Take this! Garoozis," he shouted, the monster nodding. "Get the clown!" As Kotsuzuka chuckled across from him the lizard man nodded to the command, charging the decaying clown with his axe. A brief sparking pentacle could be seen in the slashes, and ignoring the chuckling from the other side he watched as fragments of bone and fabric toppled to the ground. "Instant kill! Five Point Slash !" The monster fell to bits, Katsuya sighing in relief. Alright...

 

Even if it was only fifty lifepoints down it was still something. Not to mention one less mons-

 

"Hehehehhehe... HAHAHAH!" The blond mentally groaned as chuckling filled the air, and he swallowed as it quickly turned into a full blown cackle. "Didn't I tell you," Kotsuzuka was saying. "This card is active as long as it's on the board..." But... But it was only supposed to bring back the first three wasn't it? It couldn't- "Rise from your grave, Zombie Clown!"

 

It could. At those words, the pieces on the ground gave a jerking twitch. Within seconds they shot in the air, binding together with sick squelching noises as flesh mended and bones re-attached. Fabric hung loosely by a few threads and the staff for the clowns scythe mended itself immediately. Katsuya's mouth hung open with horror as the monster appeared, and across from him the laughter continued.

 

"And the best part is, every time they're resurrected, it's attack power goes up by 10%..." What..! But that meant... He attempted to count the numbers in his head, only for the lifepoint counter on the side to give him his answer. The clown was sent forward to attack Garoozis in return for its premature death, and while it wasn't much...

 

There was a slash, a 'line' of light as the lizard-man was cut cleanly in two. Garoozis collapsed to the ground in two pieces, each half being pulled into the ground below. He swallowed, staring at the field with wide eyes. Even if he beat these things they just came back stronger. The bonus would add on to the attack they had when they died, giving more points each time. And more and more... How the hell...

 

How the hell was he supposed to do this..! "Now do you see," Kotsuzuka was muttering from across the table, his target staring at the starchips on the counter with wide eyes. "You can't possibly win... Hehehehehhe!" Shit... Shit... If he lost this duel, he lost his starchips...

 

And if he lost these starchips, it was game over for him! And if he lost, then that meant...

 

 _'Katsuya-nii..._ '

 

He grit his teeth, eyes narrowed as the dream came to mind yet again. He'd lose everything... And even if Mokuba was sprung out by Kaiba, he was willing to bet that Pegasus had a trump card up his sleeve.

 

' _Katsuya-nii... It hurts..._ ' He couldn't give up. Katsuya shook, eyes squeezed shut as he forced the dream out of his mind. He couldn't lose! And he wouldn't! The blond mentally nodded to himself as he opened his eyes, drawing his next card. He'd stake his life on it... He'd stake everything on it! If he used the right card... The blond's eyes widened, and he grinned. Time Wizard! The grin widened as he looked forward, mentally reassuring himself yet again. He couldn't fight the zombies with Flame Swordsman...

 

But he might be able to do something with the Time Wizard's magic! It got rid of the Harpies and Ryuzaki's dinosaurs after all... So who knew what would happen now! "Here I go," he shouted, playing the card on the field. A small ray of light escaped it, and the round, wide-eyed clock appeared. "Time Wizard!" While Kotsuzuka stared at the card with a raised eyebrow (if he had eyebrows at least), Keith seemed to freeze completely. Good... At least someone knew what this card could do! "Time Roulette," Katsuya shouted, and the wizard thrust his wand in the air to start the spinner. The table grew tense, Kotsuzuka realizing from the growl behind him that Time Wizard meant danger... And a lot of it.

 

The arrow on the wheel spun furiously, almost invisible thanks to the speed. Even so it wasn't long before it began to slow...

 

Slower...

 

Slower...

 

The tick-tock sounds of a clock passed by as it spun, and as the wheel stopped Katsuya had to pale. That wasn't the crown.

 

"THE SKULL !" Shit... Shit! He didn't know what that meant but... "Shit... Did I just..." It couldn't be good! Across from the table, Keith was howling with laughter, apparently knowing exactly what the result of this play would be. While his 'partner' seemed a little more confused, Katsuya found himself watching in horror as a vortex of sorts appeared above the field.

 

"Hahahah! Had me worried for a moment there," Keith began, 'slasher smile' still in place. "But your 'time magic failed', it self-destructs!" The blond turned to Keith, eyes wide as they shifted back to the 'portal'. "Your field is being cleared by your own monster's effect!" Time Wizard waved frantically as the vortex intensified, the small clock pulled up into the air with a childish scream. The winds picked up without the wizard to control them, and seconds later Flame Swordsman followed him into the hole. "Ack... No," he shouted, growing pale. "Don't... Auuuugh..." Don't go! Come back damn it! Without them...

 

He turned to the lifepoint counter on the side, wincing. Not only was his field cleared but... Shit. Half of their attack was taken from his points too, leaving him with only 630! On the other side of the table, Keith's laughter was chorused by both those outside and by Kotsuzuka.

 

"AHAHAHHA! HAHAHAHHA!" The cackling blended into one voice almost, Katsuya gripping his head with a groan. "He killed himself," Kotsuzuka was shouting with a grin. Yeah no shit... Damn it! "And all my zombies are unharmed! Hahahha!" The boy shook it off, sighing with the grin still in place. "Ahhh... Alright," he shouted, grin twisting into a sneer. "Time for you to play another monster as sacrifice to my zombies!" Gh... He looked over his hand, scowling. Great...

 

So much for keeping the lead... Now the tables had turned completely and his trump card was gone! Red-Eyes could probably stand against the monsters a few more times but... Damn it. "I play Demon Hunter Kojikocy in defense mode," he stated with a tight jaw, placing the card on the field. His frown deepened as the bearded man appeared and crouched down, his sword slammed into the ground for a makeshift shield. "End turn..."

 

There was a nod across from him, Kotsuzuka picking up his next card before pointing forward. "Alright," he shouted with a grin, the monsters all eagerly awaiting their master's command. "Kill him, Dragon zom-"

 

"Wait," Keith shouted, interrupting the boy. Again? Katsuya narrowed his eyes as they both quieted down into another bout of hushed conversation, free hand clenching tightly in response. Fucking rats... Dirty, rotten, cheating rats... He growled, finally snapping. This duel was heading south and it wasn't even being played fairly! "Hey you, _KIBITZER_ ," he shouted, Keith turning to him with a smirk. God this guy was grating his nerves... Talk about wearing a flag on your head, this guy's bandanna was more obvious than the damn skulls around them!

 

...Don't think about those.

 

"'Mister I know everything about Duel Monsters '... Who the hell are you anyways?"

 

The man continued smirking, arms crossed. "Who me?" he asked dismissively, giving a mock shrug. "Name's 'Keith'... Bandit Keith!" Wait Bandit- "I don't expect some small time Japanese punk to know about me, but in the US, I'm a top ranked prize hunter," he continued with a laugh. Bandit Keith... Contrary to the American's thoughts, he did indeed know that name. And it made him realize just why his opponent was bothering to cheat and take tips from the guy. Katsuya swallowed, eyes widening completely as he remembered the words from Seto the night before. The one who issued a challenge to Pegasus... The one who...

 

"You... You're the 'Card Professor' that fought Pegasus," he muttered, shaking his head slightly. Shit... "Seto-ch... Kaiba told me about you!" The number one player in the USA... SHIT! The one who only Pegasus had been able to beat! If he was facing off against this guy...

 

He never had a shot at winning from the start! Keith laughed at the fallen expression on Katsuya's face, grinning. "Just give up man," he said with a smirk, his target's face falling even more. "It's all tough luck you had to play against us really... I'm teaching these guys the perfect strategies for their duels. You don't even have a prayer!" Would anyone even listen if he was a praying kind of guy..?

 

"Yeah," came Kotsuzuka's shout, the boy grinning madly. "That's right... After you lose, you can go tell Yugi that the four of us are going to Pegasus' castle while you take a row-boat back to Japan! AHAHAHHA!" Ghn... These rats...

 

He held his jaw tightly shut as Keith leered at him, a frightening glint coming from behind the shades he wore. "Lemme tell you something," he stated, leaning against the glass wall of the duel box and adjusting his sunglasses. "After I beat someone, they never play duel monsters... Or any card game again! You want to know why," he asked with a dark grin, the expression alone putting enough fear in the air to completely take back the knowledge of dueling in a crypt. "Because I beat them so bad," he began with a low voice, "That the mere sight of a card brings back enough memories to cripple their entire body! Hehehehhehe..."

 

Below the man, Kotsuzuka was nodding, his own grin matching Keith's in eeriness. "And the same goes for me," he said, laughing as he took the card he'd drawn. Shit... Shit... "You can say 'farewell' to cards for the rest of your life!"

 

"Now," Keith shouted, as his 'partner' nodded. "Play the Ghost King!"

 

"I'm on it!"

 

The card was slammed on the table, and in a burst of dark fog an enormous eye appeared from nowhere. Instantly the dream before came to mind and Katsuya tensed, heart racing even as the rest of the body became clear. Vines whipped at the ground as a grinning orange pumpkin came into view, the beast beginning to glow an ethereal and nauseating green. What in the world was this thing... He said a zombie but how the hell did this thing even qualify! Looking at the expression on his face, Kotsuzuka's laughter increased.

 

"Take a look! This is Pumpking, the King of Ghosts! Lord of the Undead, his body is nothing but a giant sack of ectoplasm, the very fuel for the spirits of evil!" The cackling increased, joined in by the monsters on the board as the enormous cyclopsian pumpkin rumbled with a wide grin. "Every turn," Kotsuzuka added, the pumpkin's eye rolling backwards in some sort of mock glee, "He feeds them this energy, raising their attack points by another ten percent!" Another bonus? But they already overpowered most of his monsters..! The blond broke into a cold sweat, the sounds of the room seeming to amplify in his fear. His hair stuck to the sides of his face, and he swallowed for what felt like the hundredth time in that hour alone. Every turn they'd be getting an even bigger bonus... "Now Pumpking," the boy across from him cried, grinning madly. The pumpkin's eye shot back into focus, the ghost appearing to 'nod'. "Give them your power!" The vines cracked, jamming into the backs of all three of the zombies on the field. Each one pulsed, a large 'lump' appearing from the top of each vine and pumping its way down through to the monsters. The zombies moaned, a foreign and sickening liquid dripping from their bodies as they grew in size. Katsuya absently wished he'd paid attention in math as they leered across the field, the blond shaking yet again. 10 percent bonus... So what did that put these guys at again? "Attack, Dragon Zombie," Kotsuzuka cried, the largest of the three lumbering forward with a cheery moan. "DEADLY ZOMBIE BREATH !"

 

The noxious gas filled the air, surrounding the sole 'living' monster on the field and reducing it to a pile of unidentifiable mush. Mush that was, yet again, absorbed into the ground by some unseen force. Katsuya gulped, shaking his head. "N... No way!" He drew a card, frowning before he placed it on the field. Shit... Shit... He had nothing... Nothing in his hand that would get him out of this! "I play another card in defense mode," he shouted, turn ending with laughter from across him. His opponent stared at the 'Pumpking' with glee, drawing his card but paying no real attention to the draw for the moment.

 

"Hehehehhee... It's my turn again," he shouted, grin widening beyond what Katsuya had thought were human limits. "And that means that the zombie's attack power goes up even more!" The beasts in front of him appeared to dissolve slightly with those words, increasing in size yet again. More fluid was pumping into them from the pumpkin behind them, and what fell on the ground created a hissing crater. By this point the three corpses filled just about the entire half of the table, side to side... The stench of death filled the air, and Katsuya wondered just why Kaiba had bothered inventing anything that replicated scent just as well as it did sight. With another stream of poisoned air from the dragon, another shout from 'Ghost', the armored lizard Katsuya had played vanished into a pile of scales.

 

There hadn't even been a scream, and its fallen form was pulled down beneath the ground. "Gn..." He wrinkled his nose as the scent met his nostrils, coughing to the side and holding back his supper from the night before as words of praise for Keith filled the room on the other side. Damn it... He needed something, anything...

 

He drew a card, putting it in his hand and taking one of his monsters. Anything! "I play glassman in defense mode," he shouted, wincing as he caught the tail end of Keith and Kotsuzuka's conversation. _'It's not perfect yet,_ ' the American had said with a low chuckle. ' _The combo won't be complete until you draw stop defense... Then it'll all be over!_ ' A wave of nausea hit him again, Kotsuzuka's shout drawing his attention back to the table as he swallowed it down. This smell... He looked down, biting his lip.

 

"Glassman dies," the boy was shouting with a mad cackle, and Katsuya found himself covering his nose from the scent and chocking on his own breath. Hopeless. As soon as they got that card it was hopeless! 'Glassman's melted corpse was being dragged beneath the earth again, and in the back of his mind he heard nothing but the whispers of his dream the night before. No...

 

' _It hurts..._ ' Mokuba... Shit... He winced, closing his eyes as the cold sweat he had continued to drench his face, a shiver wracking his body. There was no way out of this. None at all... Damn it. The blond slumped in his seat, biting his lip until he felt something wet run down the side of his mouth. ' _Yugi..._ ' He rubbed his head, tensing slightly at the coldness of his own skin and the small bit of blood on his chin. S-Sheesh... At this rate he'd be dead, like everything else in here!

 

...Don't think of that.

 

Katsuya shook his head, gritting his teeth as he thought back to his other duels. Asking for help all the time... He oughta be ashamed really but all the same... If anyone was listening somehow, no matter how impossible... Even just a 'you can do it'... Even just that!

 

' _Sorry Yug'... I can't..._ '

 

' _Don't give up, Jonouchi!_ ' Katsuya's eyes shot open, the blond jumping. That voice. No way... There was no way he'd actually heard him, hell! They didn't know what the Puzzle did but how the hell... ' _There's always a way to win,_ ' came the sound of the 'Other Yugi', the blond practically able to see his friend's face at his side right then. The same stern expression, accompanied by an encouraging smile... Somehow, he seemed different than he had when they first 'met', back at Death-T. Somehow, it felt... ' _No matter how bad it looks!_ ' The blond stared at the table with wide blank eyes with those mental words. That...

 

That was different from when he'd thought he'd heard Seto-chan. Really different. It wasn't as though he was 'talking' to a ghost, or as though his own weird conscience was trying to snap him into focus. That was...

 

Real.

 

Drawing a card, he frowned. Still nothing. But he had to keep going, somehow. "Another defense card," he stated, the teen attempting to steel himself. First thing first. He had to get rid of that pumpkin the first chance he got! "Tiger Axe..."

 

"Hehehhehehe..." Kotsuzuka chuckled, grinning eerily in the light of the duel box. Sheesh. As if he didn't already match the decor... This kid needed to eat more often. And get some sun... He looked like a skull!

 

...Don't think of that.

 

"Looks bad for you doesn't it? Every turn you defend, my zombies gain more and more attack points... And the longer you go on," the boy continued, his opponent glaring in response, "The sooner you'll run out of cards! Face it... You lose!" Tch!

 

He narrowed his eyes, staring across the field with a scowl. He was right. At this rate he was going to deck out- he didn't remember all the cards in his deck, but he knew for a fact that the ones in his hand would do nothing right now! The monsters kept getting stronger and stronger... He had no choice but to defend! He could practically see his opponent thinking the same thing...

 

Across from him Kotsuzuka drew his card, grinning. "My turn," he shouted, looking over his draw before cackling madly. Oh shit. "GEHEHEHE! FINALLY!" Finally? Katsuya tensed, his opponent continuing to grin wickedly. Oh SHIT- "I drew stop defense!" He placed the card on the board, face down before turning to face his opponent. "Heheheh... Now that this is here, when you call 'Defense'," 'Ghost' stated with a cackle, "I can flip it face up and activate it..!" The boy's grin grew in response to Katsuya's increasing horror, and he pointed his monsters forward. "Starting next turn, your monsters won't be able to hide with their defenses anymore! And now for my attack!" The monsters below roared in pleasure, increasing in size once more as the acid green fluids seeped into the ground below with a hiss. "First, Pumpking gives the zombies more ectoplasm, making my army even stronger... And now," he continued with a laugh, his zombies resembling little more than clothed or even bare skeletons by this point, "GO! Dragon Zombie! There's nothing that can stop you now! Do what zombies do best," he continued, the blond across from him clenching his jaw. "And break through their pathetic defenses! DEADLY ZOMBIE BREATH!" Oh god...

 

He grunted, pulling his jacket closed around his face as the gas seeped over the field. Oh god it reeked... The Tiger Axe growled in pain as the acid breath burned at its skin, holding the axe up as a feeble shield. The gas corroded even the metal of its armor, eating through the tiger's flesh before melting it into nothing but armor and bones. "Hahaha!" Keith's grating laugh came from the other end of the room, and as Katsuya wiped another bead of sweat from his face the American's grin widened. Tiger Axe was joining its comrades in the graveyard, under the ground... "It's over 'Jonouchi', or however you pronounce it," Keith was saying, the blond across from him swallowing under his gaze. "This trap card is just waiting for you to say 'defense', and once that happens it's alllll over..." Tch... How did he know that...

 

"What he said," Kotsuzuka was shouting, the blond merely scowling as he tried to figure out how Keith knew his name. How the hell... "Now hurry up and draw... It'll end your suffering!" Shit. Not good... What could he do... What could he do? Katsuya closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he attempted to calm himself. Think.. Think... He had to clear his head, figure out someway out of this!

 

 _'Don't give up Jonouchi,'_ Yugi's voice reminded him. Damn it, was this his conscience or for real? Either one was beyond belief! The blond blinked, eyes opening as he stared at the table. Don't give up... Don't... ' _If you rid yourself of doubt, a light will shine into the cave of your heart!'_ He blinked again, coughing with a frown. ...W-Wait... What?

 

What was that..? He frowned, shaking his head. Alright...

 

That one _couldn't_ have been him. Definitely just his conscience or some other part of his brain. (A damn weird one...) ' _Remember the promise we made,_ ' Yugi was continuing, Katsuya blinking as he took in those words. The promise. That's right, on the roof of the school, when he'd asked Yugi for help... _'We'll save them both!'_ Both Yugi's grandpa... And Mokuba! Right. That was right! He had to focus on this duel... There had to be something in this deck, something that would turn this around...

 

"Tch..." All the dreams and voices he'd heard... They all meant something in the end, didn't they? Some kind of message... "I won't give up," he finally stated with narrowed eyes, ignoring whatever reaction he received from those words. "Not as long as I can draw these cards... Because I have something important to protect," the blond continued, determined scowl in place as he spoke. "And a promise to keep... And I'll do just that!" On his own this time! The card in his hands seemed to almost shine in response to that. "Alright," he shouted, placing it on the field. With this he could fight! Maybe the three zombies were stronger... But he had to at least do this! "I draw the Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" As his opponent... Opponent's really, tensed up completely, he held his steady glare. Either they were wondering where he got the card, or they knew what he was targeting. Red-Eyes appeared on the board in a flash of black and red, roaring loudly as it flexed its wings. And while he wasn't stronger than the three monsters dominating Kotsuzuka's field... "Hn! Now that I've come this far," Katsuya muttered with narrowed eyes, "I can't just run away.. If I can't use my cards to defend," the teen continued, "Then I mind as well die fighting, instead of surrendering like a coward! Here I go," he shouted, pointing the dragon between Kotsuzuka's monsters. "Red-Eyes! Attack the Pumpking!" With a feral roar the dragon swooped in, the Pumpking's eye widening with fear to mimic it's controller. It had more attack power after all... And with this, those attack bonuses would be gone! "BLACK FIRE BULLET !"

 

With an head-splitting screech the blast of flames struck, the pumpkin bursting into a shower of red and gold. Vines flapped feebly in the air as they fell, and as ashes entered the ground there was soon nothing more than a spinning eyeball. And that too sank into the ground within a few moments... No more attack bonuses after this though. And since it wasn't brought to the playing field with Call of the Haunted, it wouldn't be coming back.

 

"Hahahaaa! Yes," he shouted with a grin. One down, everything else to go! "Now your zombies can't get any tougher... The power trip stops now!"

 

"Feh..." Kotsuzuka growled, before replacing the expression with a grin. Yep... He'd seen through the glaring flaw in his plan hadn't he. Ahhh well. "You idiot... They're already more than strong enough to kill you! My turn," he shouted, Katsuya glaring in response. Cheh! It figured. "Dragon Zombie! Counter attack!" As the next wave of acid hit, Katsuya covered his nose and mouth, turning away with his eyes shut. Regardless of them not being real, each time this attack happened it felt all too painful to watch. Red-Eyes roared in pain as the acid burned through its scales, screeches piercing the air as it hissed and spat pointlessly at his attacker. Finally the cries ended, and Katsuya turned back to watch Red-Eyes' burning corpse sink into the ground. "Die Black Dragon," Kotsuzuka shouted with a cackle, his own monster rumbling with cheer. "Fall to pieces and rot away!" Shit...

 

There went his best card and four hundred of his remaining life points from what the point counter said. From behind Kotsuzuka Keith was laughing as well, and he found himself looking toward him with narrowed eyes. "It's over, 'Joey'," he shouted with a grin. Damn it... Too much of an asshole to even bother with his name too now? He'd had it perfectly fine before! What did he do... The teen swallowed, staring at his cards. He had three cards in his hand right now. Salamandara would have been great if Flame Swordsman was still here, giving a bonus of 800 points to fire monsters- but it wasn't thanks to his screw up with Time Wizard.

 

Kunai with a Chain would lower the attack power of a monster by 500 points, but the only monster he had in his hand was Ultimator... And his attack power was only 700. Regardless of his skills in math, he knew damn well that Ultimator wouldn't beat any of the monsters even with the chain on his side. Katsuya's head continued to bow forward, the teen narrowing his eyes in thought. And he couldn't play him in defense mode thanks to Stop Defense...

 

"C'mon," Keith shouted, the blond attempting to ignore him for the moment. "Like they say in the wild west, 'DRAW!'" What the fuck was- Oh right. American movies... The cowboy ones. Man this was a pain... "Play a card and draw you mangy mutt!" Katsuya's head snapped up instantly as he tensed, growling. Now hang on here... Did he just call him... A MUTT?

 

"Gnnn..." Alright... That was fucking it. He got it from Seto-chan, that was expected. Hell, he even got the dog comments from Honda whenever he smelled something, and from goddamned Pegasus, who would be paying for it anyways. But he. Was. Not. A. MUTT .

 

And there was only one person he was going to even stand having around to call him that! He drew a card from his deck, expression of unbridled rage now set on his face. Ohhhh he'd be punching this asshole's god-damned head off his shoulders that was for sure! He'd be joining the skulls at the-

 

...Don't think about that.

 

He looked at what he'd pulled from the deck, frowning. Now. What card... He looked over the description, blinking as he logged the information in his head. Shield and Sword. One of his few spell cards... ' _Switch the original ATK and DEF of all face-up monsters on the field until the end of this turn._ ' He looked across the board, frowning. Now hang on...

 

All the monsters that he was facing had high attack points that was true. But when they'd first been summoned, they didn't have any defense points. The field bonus only applied to attack last he checked so maybe... Just maybe... He nodded, smirking. He had a plan. And there was no way it would fail! Alright!

 

This was his last chance... He'd have to give this a shot, and hope for the best! "Here I go," he shouted, his opponent staring with a slight look of surprise in response to the sudden zeal. If this didn't work, he'd at least go out with a bang! "First, I play this card in attack mode," he shouted, 'Kung-Fu Fighter Ultimator' appearing on the field with a nervous nod. The colourfully armed warrior steadied its stance however, seeming to feed of its master's current confidence. "And now for the big finale... The spell card 'Shield and Sword'! By playing it," he continued, eyes narrowing further, "I switch the attack and defense of all monsters on the field!" The reaction was instantaneous. The crowd at the other side of the table balked, and if he didn't think it was possible for Kotsuzuka to become paler than he was before, he was proven wrong. All of the monsters slumped, bodies falling to pieces before the crowd's eyes as the card's magic seeped over the field. Yes...

 

Yes... He was right! Zombies didn't have any brains right? So why would they bother defending? They didn't have any defense... So now that they switched...

 

"It's not just your monsters," Katsuya said with a neutral frown, focusing on the match itself. "The card affects all the monsters on the field! Which means that instead of 700, Ultimator now has 1000 attack points!" Kotsuzuka's expression fell, and the blond nodded down at his monster. "Now... Go back to th' movies you zombie freak! _ULTIMATE SCREW KNUCKLE_!" At those words the small ninja shot forward, slamming a fist through the nearest monster's skull with a sickening crack. "The dragon zombie goes down," he shouted, the rest of the dragon's skeleton crumbling to bits on the table with an eerie moan. "And so do your life points!"

 

Shouts filled the room, and most of them were from Keith. "Kotsuzuka you fucking moron," the American shouted in English, before grabbing the boy and the cards roughly. The starchips remained where they sat, untouched as he continued shouting. "YOU LOST!" Katsuya slumped in his seat, watching as the man sent him a scowl. "And you... Heh," he smirked, pushing Kotsuzuka out of the duel box before moving to follow after. "Don't think you're any closer to the goal..." What the hell did that even mean? God he was exhausted...

 

Katsuya frowned weakly as the people left, his cards falling from his hands as he gave out a loud sigh of relief. He... He just won right? The teen looked dimly across the table, attempting to steady his rapid breathing. He'd really gone all out... So... Since he won... Four star chips was the number right? So that meant he... He had eight now...

 

"Hah... Hahahhaha..." He rubbed his head, shaking it as he continued to laugh. He won... He won! "AHAHAHHA! Yeah! Ahhhh..." Slumping further back across the chair, he stared at the top of the box with a sigh. He managed to win on his own for once. No tips, no tricks... His conscience had a bad habit of speaking in the voices of his friends but either way... He continued to breath deeply, eventually slowing the pace down to a quiet and slow pattern of ins and outs. He did it... He... Eyes closing over, he had to smile. Only two more and he'd be there... For Mokuba, for Yugi's grandpa... For everyone... Wait for him, he thought as he gave one more sigh. He just needed... A rest... So wait...

 


	10. To The Minotaur's Lair

 

It had only been one, maybe two minutes since he won the duel, but his exhaustion had still taken its toll. _'Jonouchi,_ ' someone called, the blond unable to hear who it was. Katsuya's head slumped forward as he leaned back, eyes closed and senses all but cut off from a majority of the living world. The blond was sleeping. Mostly sleeping at least, given that it had only been minutes since he chose to succumb to the feeling. His arms hung to the sides of the chair as he took long, peaceful breaths, the sound of shouts just barely reaching him from in the distance. _'Jonouchi,_ ' someone was calling, their panicked voice somehow held with a confident air. The voice cleared, and as his eyes opened blearily the blond could make out a figure from the side of the glass.

 

"Jonouchi, What happened?"

 

Reds, golds, and blacks... Wait... Those colours were-

 

He blinked, frowning slightly. Heck, colours aside, that voice sounded like... "What the.." He groaned, holding his head as he cleared his vision up. Candle light. It wasn't much to go on but- The blond turned to the source of the voice, staring only a moment grinning. Yugi. And... "Ah! It's you guys!" They... They were all there! Behind the glass stood the 'Other Yugi', along with Anzu, Bakura, and Honda. Why the 'Other' one was there, he didn't know... But right now, he was just glad to see them. "Hah! I don't believe it... You all came..." How had they found him? This would be the last place he'd come to duel ordinarily, and yet... He shook it off, focusing on the positives. "Yugi," he shouted, grabbing his things from the table. "You just missed it man, I won on my own!" Why did that come out more like a kid proudly showing off his homework than what it was supposed to sound like? Well, Yugi didn't seem to mind at least. Coming out as he clipped his four new starchips in place, he gave a light shrug before breaking into a grin again. "Well... It was mostly luck again but..."

 

"It doesn't matter," Yugi was saying with a smile, cutting the blond off. "You did it, didn't you?" Hah... Yeah, he did... Didn't he.

 

Katsuya's grin grew, and he rubbed his head with a laugh. "Hahah! Yea! You guy's should've seen it," he began with a shout, momentarily forgetting about the skulls around them. "I took them down in one move, with a deadly one-shot combo!" Sword and Shield... With an instant kill. Awwww yeah...

 

As he said this, the others stared, blinking. He wasn't sure if they were listening to the details of his combo but... "Wow," Honda muttered, the others nodding at the side. They all looked at his left hand, where the glove's metal band was shining dimly in the candlelight. "Eight star chips..." Eh? Oh right, he'd just clicked those in before collapsing on the chair huh...

 

"Sounds like it went great," Anzu added, smiling. "Even if it was mostly luck..." Er... Much as he wanted to argue that...

 

Yeah. He had just said it himself, really. The blond shrugged again, stretching a few kinks out of his arms while Honda frowned. "You know Jonouchi," he started, eyes 'narrowed' in faux wisdom as he spoke, "This streak of good luck is something to think about... Did you ever think that since you came to this island you were wasting the rest of your life's luck?"

 

"E-EH!" He turned, eyes wide. Wasting his luck? That couldn't happen right? "No way! That' can't be it," he shouted, grabbing Honda by the shirt. "T-Take it back man, you say things like that and it'll actually happen!" He'd doom them all damn it!

 

His friend merely laughed, throwing an arm around his shoulder and throwing off the blond's grip. "Hahaha! Prove me wrong then and tell me you're running on more than just fumes!" What what what! No! This wouldn't help at all ahhhh...

 

"Damn it Honda!" As Katsuya turned to continue the verbal battle, he frowned, cutting off.

 

_-clack_

 

That sound...

 

Rocks? His frowned deepened, and the sounds continued.

 

_-clack-_

 

"...Hang on..." The others turned as well, expressions mimicking Katsuya's own. Far off down the tunnel they'd come in...was that a person? "Hey!" he shouted, running after the now clattering sounds of footsteps. Whoever it was he'd spotted was now barreling down the tunnel in an attempt to escape, Katsuya soon coming within just a few meters of them. "Wait a second!" the blond continued, squinting in the dark. That was...Oh, hell, it was them. (Why were they still there? ) "HEY! YOU!" He continued running, the people ahead stopping in their tracks. Kotsuzuka, his two friends... And as he came close a familiar black vest and flag bandanna came into view, the blond scowling in response. "Bandit Keith!"

 

The reaction from both sides was something he'd more or less seen coming. Keith of course turned to face the group, along with everyone else with him. The American leveled a glare at the group, while his three 'friends' merely stared at them with narrowed eyes. As Yugi and the others came up from behind, he could hear their surprise at the group as well.

 

"Jonouchi," Honda was saying with a disbelieving tone, Katsuya stopping to turn to him. The surprise was expected really. This was the number one duelist in the US... Or 'was' anyway. "You got in a fight with these guys?"

 

"Psh..." He shook his head, frown returning. "Naw... It wasn't like that..." More like he'd been attacked if anything... His scowl deepened, and he clenched his fists. "These guys shanghaied me and dragged me down t' this crypt!" As Honda and the others blinked before turning to look at Keith, he continued. "They were stalking us the entire morning, waiting t' make their catch!" The people in front of him merely glared in response, and Katsuya growled. "Tch... 'Bandit Keith'," he shouted, pointing at the man accusingly. The American grit his teeth, fists clenching in response. "If you call yourself a duelist then why don't you fight fair next time, instead a' hiding behind someone else?"

 

Keith merely growled, and while his eyes were hidden behind the shades his anger was was more than evident. "Fucker," he shouted, the same ragged slurr he'd heard before echoing around the cavern. "Don't tell me how to play, halfmixed punk!" Half _what_? What did he just call him!? As Katsuya growled, Keith turned on them all with the same 'slasher smile' from before, and a shiver ran down his spine. "You want me to 'play fair'? HAH! Don't make me fucking laugh... Card games are about outwitting your opponent," he shouted with a crazed sneer, the others drawing back slightly. "And that starts before the game! So don't go talking about shit you know nothing about... Hell," the man snorted, "You know what I'm talking about right?" As he pointed toward the blond, tilting his head with that same grin in place, Katsuya tensed. What the hell was he talking about? "Tell me you're pulling my leg 'Jonouchi'! There's no way in hell you can be this naive! Stop pretending to be a 'nice guy' kid!" he continued with a laugh, the blond across from him barely holding himself back. Much as he'd like to rip this guy's head off, he had a nasty feeling about what was in that vest. "That's when all the glory and cash comes flying your way!" As the group merely stared with a frown, Keith grabbed the sides of his vest and held them forward. "Check it out!"

 

Katsuya's eyes widened as he looked at the number of pockets, and he took a few steps back. "What... What the hell..." The others as well stared, silent as the dull candlelight revealed a number of cards on the sides. "You've got at least twenty decks in there!" At least it wasn't a weapon?

 

Seriously, what! The American chuckled darkly, adjusting his vest before closing it back up with a snap. "That's right," he said with a grin, adjusting his sunglasses. He could see, how? "Dragon decks, warrior decks, machine decks..." He trailed off, hands in his pockets as he continued. "And they're filled to the brim with dozens and dozens of rare and powerful cards!" Katsuya growled, face going red as the man continued. "And I've got a deck to beat any poor sucker who fights against me... HAHAHAHA!"

 

Beside him Yugi merely snorted, arms crossed. "Bandit Keith," he began, eyes narrowing. "If I recall, wasn't there a rule that stated you could only bring forty cards to the island?" That was very true, but did he look like he cared?

 

Anzu nodded in agreement, frowning. "Yeah," she shouted, expression mirroring the others. "You're allowed to trade as much as you like... But once we got to the island, they checked everyone's decks! After they counted forty, the extra cards were confiscated, no questions asked!" Again... Did he care?

 

A howling laugh cut the woman off, and Keith shook his head. "Fuck you guys are dense!" His chuckling grated their ears, as did the man's voice as he grinned. "You think I'm really in this tournament? It's only for the Japanese league you morons! Which means I'm not officially a competitor..." As he pointed toward himself, he lowered his laughter to a dull and dark chuckle. "And because of that, it also means the rules don't apply to me!" Well, that explained why he was acting through other competitors but. God what an asshole... (And since when did this make him above the rules!) "I only have one rule," he continued, turning around with the others as he continued to laugh. "Do whatever the fuck it takes to get to Pegasus' castle! HAHHAHAHAAA!"

 

As the group left them ('H-Hey Keith ', Kotsuzuka shouted, 'Wait up!'), Yugi and Katsuya's frowns deepened. This man... Damn it, he wasn't even worth going after. Punching this guy's lights out would just get his hands dirty and Keith a better looking face. "Bandit Keith," the shorter of the two shouted, pulling his friend out of his mind again. Keith turned briefly, expression seemingly neutral as Yugi continued to frown. "The 'Duelists' Pride' is the rule on the island... Not your desire for vengeance," he added with a glare. "Remember that..."

 

Keith merely snorted in response, turning back with the rest of his 'party'. "Pffft!" The man continued to laugh, giving a dismissive mock salute as he moved on again. "Don't make me laugh, midget goth," he shouted with a smirk. "I don't have anymore words for a bunch of dumbass punks like you! HAHAHAHA!"

 

With those last words he disappeared, Katsuya seething in his place. Yugi didn't appear to be responding to the insult much, but nonetheless. "Man... That creep..." He wanted to shout back at this moron, say something that would shut the asshole's mouth right up. He doubted that simply shouting 'Hey! I'm gonna beat you!' would work though, and something told him even using his fists wouldn't silence the guy. Hell, he was probably waiting for that! 'I'm going to beat you!' Regardless of that being what he wanted to say the blond thought to himself, he couldn't honestly do that could he? After all...

 

This time around, Keith was essentially using Kotsuzuka as a pawn. All he'd done was buff up his deck. Next time... Now that he knew what sort of deck he played, Keith could just build a complete defense against it, making it even more difficult for him to get through. The blond swallowed as the footsteps in the distance faded, lost in his own thoughts. He'd have to get stronger. Find ways around that... From behind, the group continued to stand in silence. No one was moving or speaking. Finally, Honda coughed, attempting to get moving again.

 

"Hey, come on guys," he said, "Let's get out of this place too! We got work to do right?" As the others nodded, Katsuya found himself going pale, remembering where they were. Right. Cave. ...Crypt. Hihhhh...

 

"Y-Yeah," he muttered with a nervous laugh. They might have gotten out of the creepy skeleton area but... "I hate dark places," he muttered to himself, fairly certain that a few of the others were rolling their eyes at that. In the end as they took off on their own as well, he found himself turning to Yugi. Now that he had eight starchips... They were a lot closer huh? "Oi Yugi," he asked, the teen turning to him. "You've got six starchips right? And... I've got eight..." As his friend blinked, nodding, he grinned. "So maybe if we win our next duels, we'll both have ten eh?"

 

There was a curt nod, the shorter of the two giving a small grin in response. "Right," he said with a smile. "Then let's finish this with our next duels!"

 

"Hah! You got it!" They continued down the path up to where they'd come in from, the fork in the tunnels leaving Katsuya scratching his head. All he'd really seen was ceiling so... As to where they were going to go, he had no clue. Left, right? Bakura pointed to one of the paths as he and the others came behind the blond, smiling.

 

"Ah... I think the exit is this way," he said with nod, looking to the others for their input.

 

Honda as well nodded, moving toward the path to look around the corner. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure we take a right here... Came in and turned left after all so..." As he said this, the path they came to brightened, and he grinned. "Alright! How do you like that?"

 

"Hah! YEAH," Katsuya shouted from behind the teen, running forward. Outta the crypt outta the crypt outta the crypt! "The way out! YEEHAW! Sunlight!" he shouted, eager to get as far away from the caverns as possible. "Let me feel your warm embra- Eh?" He skidded to a stop, the others freezing as well. The tunnel exit was still a fair distance away but... Was that a shadow up there? As the light began to fade, he tensed, stumbling and skidding on his feet as he charged forward. "S-Shit!" Shouts came from the other side, and as he came within a few meters of the boulder blocking their entrance there was little more than a sliver of light left. "Awww shit! SHIT!" He skidded, feet slipping beneath him to reward his efforts with a mouthful dirt. "PWEH!”

 

Mad cackling sounded from the crack, and as Katsuya looked up through a muddied squint he could make out Bandit Keith's crazed grin. "HAHAHA! Hey there losers!"

 

"Gh..." He growled, watching as the boulder shifted an inch or so. "You rat... What the hell do you think you're doing?" Attempting to pull himself up, he slipped again, the others coming up from behind with a bit of difficulty. Wet... Great, he must have uncovered part of a spring or something... Just what they needed going up hill.

 

Keith merely grinned viciously, still laughing as those in the tunnels attempted to make their way forward. "Hehehhe... If the law of the island is to win duels," he began, still laughing "I figured then I'd just have to win like this!" That fucking piece of- He grabbed the side of the wall, attempting to make his way toward the boulder. "Now that I'm this close to getting at that castle," the American continued, "You morons are just in my way... So why not join everyone else in there in the crypt," he shouted, laughter coming from outside the cave. "Tough luck for you guys I guess! Maybe if you're lucky," he said as little more than a sliver of light came through. "Someone will find you... In five years! HAHAHHAHAHAAA!"

 

AUUUUGH, screw the cards, he didn't care what kind of weird disease he got punching this bastard! "KEITH," Katsuya roared, charging the slit to get his message through. The ground had leveled out just enough for him to reach it from where he'd fallen, and the blond pounded against the stone in a rage. He pushed against the rock fruitlessly, a few of the others coming from behind to help while he screamed. "I'M GONNA BEAT THE EVER-LOVING CRAP OUT OF YOU! GET BACK HERE!"

 

"HAHAHAHHAHAAA!" The target of his frustrations howled in response, and while he couldn't see him he had a feeling he could guess what the man was doing. "Scream all you like," he called through, likely grinning at their misfortune. "Maybe someone will hear you... See you later, 'Champ'!” And with a final slamming echo, the boulder closed over the entrance, leaving them in the darkness.

 

Damn it... Katsuya's arms shook as he stood there, eyes still wide with anger. If he had to dig his way out of this cave he'd get to that bastard... Mark his words! He grit his teeth, before pushing against the boulder. Come on... come on, it had to give at least an inch... Not a single sound came aside from the group's breathing now, that and the occasional 'plink' as water dripped from above. "Ungg... Damn it...!"

 

By this point Anzu was essentially the only one not helping- though that was because, with all four of the guys there, even with Yugi being as small as he was, it was more an issue of not pushing each other instead of the rock. Unlike outside...

 

"Damn it," he growled, finally pushing back from the rock with a scowl. "It won't budge!" The others as well stopped, while Anzu searched through her bag for something.

 

"I guess we'll have to look for another way out," Honda was muttering, arms crossed. Thanks to the candles below, he could still see a slight outline of the others. Either way Katsuya thought as he leaned against the wall, it was hard not to bump into anyone. "Provided there is one..." Yeah... That too.

 

As they turned back to the fork of paths they'd come from he continued speaking, the others ignoring the occasional slip and grunt of 'watch it!' from anyone else. "Path to the left takes us to the duelbox, but there's no where to go after that..."

 

"Hihhhh..." Katsuya gave a shudder, shaking his head. Skulls and zombies... Even if there was another path from there he wouldn't have looked forward to that! "I ain't going anywhere near that place again..."

 

From ahead Bakura turned slightly with a chuckle. Oh, so his fear was funny was it? Then again, they'd looked through Bakura's deck on the ship, and that alone was the stuff of nightmares. "Hahahaha..." He cut his quiet laughter short, before the smile vanished to a more serious stare. "Well, if we were on the surface," he began, turning back to look at the paths, "We would be better off taking the right really... The passage goes in the direction of the castle." Katsuya turned, as did Anzu and the others. Huh.

 

How did he know that... "Really Bakura," she was asking, blinking as she voiced the confusion of the others. "You've got a good sense of-" The woman paled, as did everyone else when they noted the soft glow of gold in their friend's hands. "O...Oh... You used the Millennium Ring..." HAH-AHH-AHHH! What!

 

While Bakura nodded, an oddly distant look on his face, Katsuya swallowed. "H-Haaaahh... I thought that thing was staying in the bag!" Where it belonged. Or maybe in the ocean, far away from them. That would be better. (Much. Better.)

 

"We can't help it if it's doing a good job Jonouchi," Honda said with a shrug, walking down the right path. What did he mean can't help it, it was like the ring was trying to get on their good side or something. "Let's just take this passage for now, we mind as well take advantage of it's handy 'compass' abilities..." And it was working...

 

He swallowed again, frowning. From the side, Yugi was giving Bakura an odd look as well... So at least he wasn't the only one feeling completely off about using this ring thing. As it was. He swore he heard rumbling whenever it was going on-

 

- _click_ \- "Agh!" The blond jumped, hissing slightly as a beam of light struck his face. Oh god it was blinding! "Watch were yah point that thing Anzu!" Anzu smirked, giggling. Conniving little...

 

"Really," she said with a smirk, "It's just light..." The woman turned the flashlight down the path, bright gold light illuminating the walls completely. "It's a good thing Mai gave us this flashlight though," the woman muttered, the group walking off yet again. "Otherwise we'd be completely stuck in the dark."

 

Well, Katsuya added mentally as he took a nervous glance at Bakura's ring again. Mostly at least. Seriously, gold glowing objects... That couldn't be normal even with all the crap they'd done right? He fell silent, as did the others, and soon the only sounds were the constant clacking of shoes against echoing ground. The ceiling was getting lower. Katsuya frowned slightly, looking around the tunnel with skepticism.

 

"We're getting pretty far," Honda was muttering. As he spoke, the 'clumping' noises against the uneven rocks and dirt became more echoing, the path becoming flatter. "Haven't seen a way out, but at the speed we're going we've made pretty decent time..."

 

Katsuya nodded, frowning. "Yeah... But th' tunnel's getting narrower," the blond stated, running a hand along the sides. Earlier, the wall was obviously craggy, being nothing but tunnel but... "Weird," he muttered, frown narrowing. "Walls are all smooth, like a brick-lay..." Same with the ceiling and the floors... He froze, before shoving past Honda.

 

"Hey, what the hell-" The blond ignored him, taking a few steps ahead of him and frowning as he placed a hand in front of him. Wall...

 

At the end of the path was a wall, the path itself dividing in two. He frowned, turning to the right with a few more steps in the darkness. "Jonouchi! What the hell are you doing man?" Again, the teen stopped, this time finding the path split into three.

 

"Shit," he muttered, the others coming up from behind to gasp. Yeah, they could see it now... The ceiling was just a few inches above his head now, and in Honda's case it was brushing against the teen's hair. The path had narrowed to the point that from there on out it was single-file and nothing else... "SHIT," he muttered again, kicking the dirt. "We're in a maze!" Katsuya grabbed his head, expression of annoyance replaced more with dull shock.

 

What the hell was with this island, it had everything... Volcanos, mazes, what next sharks? From behind, there were a few worried mutterings before Honda spoke up. "Well it's obviously here for a reason," he was saying, Katsuya turning against the glare of the flashlight to see a frown. "There's really only one thing to do now."

 

He nodded, frowning slightly. "Yeah... Guess that makes sense... Well," he continued with a nervous smile, looking at their options. "At least we know we're close right?"

 

"Hah, that's one way of putting it," Honda said with a grin, leaning against the sides of the tunnel. "So... You gonna lead the way, or are you waiting for someone to light a campfire to sniff our way out?" Auuuughhh again with the dogs...

 

"Honda..." He tensed, deciding against the risk of smacking his fist into the stone wall and moving toward the path heading straight ahead. Damn it. Later... Later! (If he remembered...) "Gh! This way then," he shouted, pointing ahead. "Lets go!"

 

Katsuya received no answer from that save for some muttered 'Alright!'s. As it was, he decided as they moved, he really hoped he'd picked the right path. Granted, the blond thought as he trailed his hand along the sides, the path hadn't diverged since that point. So unless he randomly came to a cross-roads, they were probably scott free even if they had to turn back. Speaking of...

 

He blinked, stumbling for a brief moment as a bright light came from the end of the path. Holy shit... He really did pick the right one! (And Honda said he was losing his luck... PAH!) As they walked, the 'exit' was getting larger. The ceiling slightly higher...

 

But this wasn't sunlight, Katsuya decided as they went. Too bright, no warmth... This was coming from a lightbulb, or maybe even just a really powerful lamp. Or... The group came to the open exit, staring out at what it opened up to in shock.

 

Or a really, really well lit room he guessed! "What the..." Katsuya blinked, eyes wide as he took in the room, shaking a bit of hair out of his face as he took it in. "What is this place?" A pillar stood at each corner, the kanji 'Mayou' at one side in a large marble carving, with 'Miya' at the other. 'Delude' and 'Shrine'. Wait. ...Meikyuu? 'Maze'? Abruptly something shifted in the air, and he tensed. Someone was there... But where-

 

 _-tph_ -

 

From the ceiling came two figures, each one resembling little more than a blur as they shot down to the ground and rushed forward. Backflipping one over the other they moved, before both landed directly in front of the group in a bizzare sort of mirror. The men stood back to back, arms crossed as they stared at the group through narrowed eyes.

 

"H-HEH!" He stared, eyes wide as the pair looked at them in silence. The way those two were flipping off the ceilings... That was insane! "What the hell are you guys!" he shouted, the two both having little reaction to the question. "I mean... You two could have been in a Hong Kong movie!" Hell, they looked like they came from a Hong-Kong flick with those outfits! The two men again had little reaction, merely shifting their arms as they bowed their heads to the group. If their actions hadn't made him flash back to watching old movies at his original house, their outfits did. Definitely not Japanese, whatever they were wearing. Maybe Chinese, or Korean, who knew really...

 

"We," the pair began, both sending a stern gaze toward the group, "Are the guards of the dungeon- We are the Meikyuu brothers," the two continued, bringing their arms to the sides. As Katsuya merely stared ('...Mei... Kyuu...' Maze brothers?), there was a snort from behind. Anzu quickly covered her mouth, face red as she held back a laugh. At the moment, it looked as though Katsuya and Yugi were a little too distracted by the duel rings that the pair had to really bother with that. Though Honda was also sniggering behind them at the pun, and it looked as though only Bakura's polite nature prevented him from doing the same. (He had an amused smile though.)

 

'Kyuu', rather the one with 'Kyuu' on his brow, tilted his head before frowning slightly. "Hmmm... What have we here brother," he asked, bringing a hand to his chin. "Five travelers, lost in the maze?" Lost? They weren't lost, they knew exactly where...

 

Wait, so there was another path then? Damn it, he really was wrong. "Who knows brother," Mei said with a shrug, also frowning. The duel rings on their wrists... A gleaming row of starchips sat on them, and Katsuya tensed slightly. These two were probably player killers then. "It wouldn't be a maze if people didn't get lost." They weren't-!

 

Auugh, forget it... The pair turned, facing them completely as they continued. "Have you come to ask us lost travelers," they asked, voices echoing around the room, "Of the right path?"

 

"Of the right door," Mei continued for his brother, the two stepping away from the other in a blur as they gestured to the table in the center of the room.

 

"To find the answer," he stated, Kyuu speaking in the same instant, "You must face us in a duel!"

 

Katsuya stared, frowning. "Wait," he said, pointing forward. All weird 'twin voices' aside... That thing was almost round, and had four chairs. "That thing's a duel table!?" Come to think...

 

He frowned, Yugi nodding beside him. "It mirrors the room," the teen stated, neutral expression in place. A chair for each pillar, symbols carved on the sides... "Including the two doors at the other end!" Which like everything else in the room it seemed, had the kanji 'mayou' and 'miya' on them.

 

Huh. Weird. The two brothers before them nodded, hands hidden in their sleeves as they gave a curt bow. If they acknowledged the comparison they didn't show it. Instead, they merely addressed the group once more. "Now," they both spoke, voices creating a bizarre double echo. "Will two duelists please step forward! This duel will be an unorthodox two-on-two battle!"

 

"Two on two," Yugi was muttering under his breath, Katsuya blinking as his own expression shifted to his standard 'game face'. So then... "A duel monster's tag-team match..?" Weird. How would that work? He frowned, watching as the twins before them (had to be twins, no one looked this similar) nodded.

 

"Beat us," Kyuu began, "And you will learn the right way..."

 

"But run," his brother finished with a smirk, "And you will all be lost on the path of darkness!" Eh? Path of darkness? ...Right. The maze. Er... He didn't like the sounds of that. The group turned to each other, Yugi somehow holding his serious expression despite the humor of the situation. Seriously... 'Meikyuu'? "Jonouchi," he began, hands in his pockets. Katsuya coughed, turning to his friend as the boy continued. "It looks like we have no choice..."

 

He grinned, nodding. Well... After this, they would have to be set for the castle right? "Yeah!" He pulled out his deck, watching as his friend did the same before turning to the Meikyuu guardians. "Bring it on, 'Mario Brothers!'" No reaction again? Sheesh, did these guys live under a rock or something?

 

As they moved to the table, each taking a seat on one of the sides of the octagon, the brothers nodded again. "Very well then," they began, Katsuya looking over the board curiously. Looked like a giant grid... Weird. "We welcome you, to the Labyrinth Field!" Alright! If they didn't win, they wouldn't get out of these tunnels... But if they did win... Ten starchips! Whoo! Speaking of winning and dueling in general...

 

He frowned, and a quick glance at Yugi's own expression told him that his friend had similar thoughts on the current board. If this was a 'labyrinth' field, then where was the labyrinth? Heck, normally there was at least a drawing of sorts on the board, but this was bizarre. "Wager your star chips," came the guardian's request, and he nodded in response. Right. Time to start dueling then.

 

"I'll bet two," he stated calmly, pulling the pair off and placing them on the edge of the table with a clack. Beside him Yugi did the same, pulling out double the amount of his friend.

 

"And I'll bet four," he stated with a nod, before leaning back on his chair. "A total of six!"

 

The Meikyuu brothers nodded, each one pulling three starchips from their gloves. "We'll meet that bet then," they chorused. "Six Starchips!"

 

From the side Yugi turned to give Jonouchi a determined stare, a small smirk on his face. "Let's do this, Jonouchi," he said with a nod, the blond turning to him with a smile. "If we win this duel," the teen continued, "We'll have ten starchips each... We'll both be able to get to the castle!"

 

Another nod, and the smile grew into a grin. "Hah! You bet," he answered, before turning back to the board. Win this, and Mokuba would be right in his reach... Along with Pegasus' pasty face for his fist! He looked over the board again, the smile vanishing into a frown. Alright... Sooo. Where was the-

 

"Duel Start," the twins cried, the four players each drawing their hand. "I go first," Kyuu shouted, pulling a card from his hand. "And I play this card! Labyrinth wall!" The moment the card was set, Katsuya's question was answered.

 

"What the-" The sounds of gears clacking came over the air, and the slats between the 'grid' squares opened up.

 

"Walls," Yugi shouted with a slight jump, he and his friend both watching as from small slits in the board a randomized series of walls appeared. Not just walls... A maze! So this was the maze of the 'labyrinth field'..! ...Sheesh, what would have happened if they hadn't drawn that card, would the board have just been flat? "Now this is interesting..." That was one word for it...

 

Some luck these twins had though. "This is the labyrinth field," Mei said with a smirk. "You just try and get to these doors!" Hn! There were a few shouts of good luck from behind, and the two shared a glance. If they won this, they would make it forward after all.

 

"I'm ready when you are," Katsuya said with a grin, his friend nodding in response. Now or never... "Alright... Lets go!"

 

Across from them, the brothers nodded. "This game is a matter of life or death," Mei was stating with that same smirk. "Now listen carefully..." Life or death. If they lost, getting to the castle would be the least of their worries! He wouldn't put it past that bastard Pegasus to just lock them in there and throw away the key. ...Listening was probably a good idea, he realized belatedly.

 

"Now that my first turn is over," the second of the brothers continued with a slight frown, "I will explain the rules." He crossed his arms, expression far calmer than that of his twin. "All four players have 2000 lifepoints each," he began, gesturing to the point-counters at the side. "But your life is tied to your partner's! If one loses their lifepoints, so does the other... And you both lose!" They'd both lose? Shit... He nodded as the rules were logged in his head, frowning slightly. If he screwed this up he wouldn't be able to look Yugi in the eye for a long time. He'd have to really watch himself huh... "We alternate turns," Kyuu was saying, Katsuya watching as the man gestured over the board. "One player on each team... From myself, it goes to the opponent across from me. Then, it will be my brother's turn, after which it end with the one across from him... Before continuing in a cycle." There was another pair of nods from Katsuya and Yugi both, and Kyuu then gestured to the maze. "And now... About this labyrinth field," he began, Mei continuing for him.

 

"We shall explain how to play!" Why were they doing this 'finish sentence' thing, it hurt his head... Mei as well crossed his arms, smirk vanishing as he explained. "To make it simple, think of your monsters as chess pieces. If the card is in attack mode, it can advance as many spaces per turn as the number of stars on the card." Alright... So they had to go through the maze. Chess eh?

 

...Sounded like Seto-chan. As those thoughts came to mind, the twins both continued their explanations, switching yet again. "If you can survive the dungeon and beat us gate keepers," Kyuu was saying, "You can open one of the doors."

 

At these words, Mei smirked again, expression far darker than that of his twin. "But which door will you choose? Mei, the door of deception..."

 

"Or Kyuu," the second guard began, "The door of the palace?" Katsuya tensed, frowning. Well wasn't that lovely...

 

"So... Only one door leads to the outside then..." His frown deepened, and the blond crossed his arms. Great, that wasn't good at all... "Then which door do we head for..?" The brothers merely smirked, Mei's appearing far darker than before while Kyuu answered.

 

"Well," he began, "We will of course, each do our best to guard our doors..."

 

"We are the gatekeepers and dungeon masters after all," his brother continued, resulting in a scowl from the blond at the other side. He kinda figured they'd have to beat them... But if one would lose when the first did, that would be a little hard! What was with those faces too... Weirdos...

 

"Oi oi," he shouted, fists tightening. "You're playing with human lives here! What the hell do you mean that there's only a 50-50 shot at escape if we win!" The blond growled, face going red while the others merely watched in silence. "Give us a fair shot... A clue at the right door at least!" They should at least get that! The twins stared, blinking before giving a nod.

 

"Very well," they both stated, Mei's smirk shrinking slightly while his brother gained a neutral expression once more. "Then from now on, one of us will always tell the truth... And one of us will always lie!" Eh? One tells the truth and one always lies? That sounded familiar, like a riddle he'd heard... What was it again... He frowned, while Yugi as well drifted into thought. Oh yeah! The riddle with two guards! 'The Road to Heaven'! His expression brightened slightly as he ran over the riddle in his head.

 

"That better be the truth," Yugi was muttering at the moment, as Kyuu nodded. ' _Of course it is,_ ' he was saying, before he and Mei to point at their doors to proclaim them the correct options. This riddle... How did it go...

 

' _A traveler comes to a fork in the road on the way to the afterlife. Next to each of the forks stands a guard, and they state the following. One is that while one of the paths lead to Paradise, the other leads to Hell. It's impossible to distinguish the two paths, same with the guards, and it is also impossible to turn back._ ' Alright...

 

Similar to now, they had two guards and two doors. One would get them out, but the other one would mean they'd be stuck there forever. (Though he could always just follow the guards when they went to get food he guessed... Even they had to eat right?)

 

 _'In addition, one of the guards always tells the truth, while the other always lies. You may ask one guard one question in order to ascertain which path leads to Paradise._ ' Well, he didn't know if they had the same question limit but... Katsuya's eyes narrowed as he looked at the doors. That question. It was... Was... What was it again?

 

Oh, right! ' _If I ask the other guard, which path will he choose to lead to Paradise?_ ' That was it! He blinked, before smirking. That was right... If it was the liar, he'd say the honest guard would point at the wrong path, his path! But if it was the honest one, he'd point out the wrong path, because that was what the liar would tell him! He got it! "Alright," he shouted, the brothers before him looking up. "You gotta answer our questions, understand?" The men nodded, while Mei held up a single finger. One question huh... Figured really, but at least he knew what to ask. "Ok then... In that case, I'll ask you," he continued, pointing at Mei. "Which path... Er, door," he corrected, "Would your brother say is the right one?" Across from him, Mei merely smirked, before pointing at his own. Alright... So then Kyuu was the right door then! "Hahahha! Alright!" He grinned, putting the smirk in the back of his mind before turning to Yugi. "We're in the clear now... Kyuu is the right door, and Mei is the liar- now we know which one to head for!" At this, Yugi merely narrowed his eyes, staring across the table. "Nh... Y-Yugi?" Katsuya's grin faded, and he blinked. "What's wrong... That's how the riddle goes right?" Had to be right! Made sense in his head, that was for sure...

 

Yugi's stare merely narrowed further, and he shook his head. "Depending on how you look at it, your question is logically correct," he began, frowning. Alright, so he was right then... "But should we really take their words for truth? Hnhnhnhn..." The teen smirked, and his friend frowned in response. What did he mean by that... "I'm a cautious man... I don't think we should."

 

"Wait... What do you mean," the blond said with a frown. "If one's honest and one's a liar then they should've answered the question..." That was how the riddle went wasn't it? One lied, one told the truth...

 

Again, Yugi shook his head, the smirk vanishing momentarily. "No... I'm saying it's too dangerous to compare our current situation with the 'Path to Heaven' riddle; after all," he continued, arms crossed, "Simply saying 'one of us will tell the truth and one of us will always lie' is in itself suspicious! If one of them is a liar," he stated, "Both of them should claim to be honest... Which means that they're also a possibility that they're both liars!" Both of them- He blinked, mouth hanging slightly open. Shit... He was right... They'd said one would tell the truth, but if the liar said that then... There was no honest person... But that meant...

 

Eh...

 

Damn it his head hurt, but either way it couldn't be good. He looked at Yugi with wide eyes, the teen nodding. "Right," he stated, somehow knowing just what his friend had assumed. "It's not even certain that 'Paradise' lies at the end of the road... For all we know, they both lead off a cliff!" Across from them, the twin brothers had abruptly smirked, eyes narrowing in response to those words. Either they'd been seen through or... Something.

 

"All that aside," Yugi muttered, leaning back against his chair. "We're still playing... RESUME THE GAME!" Alright! Yugi's turn. The teen pulled a card and placed it on the board as he spoke. "I play the Beaver Warrior in attack mode!" As Yugi said this, the monster slowly misted into appearance. It wasn't so much of a beaver as a rat. The creature's whip-like tail swished in nervousness, his master muttering as it moved. "Okay," Yugi was saying, his friend staring as the warrior gave a worried cough. "Four stars... So four spaces." One two three four... Beaver Warrior was visibly nervous, and was dragging his blade against the wall with a small yet audible swallow while he walked. Soon enough however he came to a stop, shaking with his master's next words "...End turn," Yugi finished, Katsuya looking over the board.

 

Alright... There was still a fair bit of distance between them and the doors, but they could still make it. After all even with all that distance, and Yugi's maze disadvantage, from what the blond could see he had a direct path! Speaking of Yugi... Why did he take the dead end path? They'd get no where with this one... Maybe it was the board?

 

Across from him, Mei smirked. "I know what you're thinking," he muttered, before the grin widened. Eh? What were they thinking? "And you're wrong! I will teach you the true terrors of the labyrinth, right now!" No seriously, what were they- Placing a pair of cards on the board, the man continued, Katsuya staring. "First," he shouted, "I play the Polymerization card... And then I play the Shadow Ghoul, merging it with the board itself!"

 

"It can't be..." Heh, took the words out of his mouth, Katsuya thought mentally. How the hell did he merge his monster with the maze! And-

 

His eyes widened, and both he and Yugi leaned forward as a shadow of sorts appeared on the walls. "What the... Something's coming after the beaver!" Lighting quick the shadow approached, Yugi's monster looking around with wide eyes as a pair of claws shot out from behind. "It..." Ahhhhh fuck.

 

It came out of the wall.

 

Rotted green skin and claws the size of the Beaver Warrior's sword, its waist, head, and arms solidified on the side of the wall. The ghoul moaned eerily as its victim turned with a high-pitched squeal, claws gouging the beaver through the neck to silence it before pulling him back to its domain. "Labyrinth Kamaitachi," Mei shouted, Yugi's lifepoints dropping slightly as the shadow retreated. "The Beaver Warrior dies!" Yeah. A bloody and fairly horrifying death he might add. What was wrong with Seto-chan when she designed-

 

Wait. He already knew what was wrong, lets not go there. Katsuya swallowed, looking down at the board with a frown. Shit... The shadow didn't have to bother with the board, it was hiding in the walls! Stupid loopholes. He grit his teeth before steeling himself. Whatever. This was the first turn- it was too early to decide who would win or lose! "My turn," he announced, taking a pair of cards from his hand. "I'm playing the Axe Raider in attack mode," the blond began, before setting another card beside it on the field. This trap would be good... And Yugi could use it too! "And one more card face down on the board." As the dark-skinned warrior appeared to swing his blade, Katsuya frowned. "But I can't fight what I can't see..." That was common sense really, but all the same. A real pain in the ass to tell the truth. "I'm not moving on this turn," he continued, the twins across from him merely nodding dully in response. "I'll keep some distance from the wall and stand-by; if anything comes close, I attack!" He just hoped that Yugi caught the strategy he'd just set into motion...

 

From behind, the others were whispering. Wonder what they were talking about? Anzu's voice was the first one he heard clearly, and the instant he did he was groaning inwardly. " _I hope Jonouchi doesn't do something stupid..._ " Oh... Thanks... Thanks Anzu. He wasn't that bad...

 

" _Don't worry,"_ Bakura was muttering in response, and just as quick as his mood came up it was pulled right back down. " _Yugi will back him up!_ " Oh come on! As the three fell silent again Honda spoke up, and Katsuya had to scratch his head in frustration.

 

" _I hope so too,_ " he was saying, likely to Anzu rather than Bakura. Seriously Honda? Why... " _Since it's a tag-team match, there's a chance their opponents will concentrate on Jonouchi to take him down..._ " Eh?

 

Abruptly, the teen blinked, the words hitting him with a rather cold feeling. Shit! That was a good point! What would happen if they targeted one single person? ...He still wasn't a weak link though. "It's my turn," Kyuu shouted, pulling the blond's attention back to the board in an instant. "First, I'll set a card face down," he announced, Katsuya swallowing. Great... Now he had a trap. "And now," the man continued, placing another card. "Labyrinth Tank!" As the monster appeared in the middle of the maze, he frowned. Huh... That one was pretty powerful. As it moved forward from the far end of the maze however, he shook it off. At the distance it was, there was a chance he could counter it... Maybe if he could get Flame Swordsman and Salamandra.

 

"It's my turn," Yugi stated, drawing a card. For a moment Katsuya sent the teen a glance, silently attempting to pass along a message. They needed to pull out the Shadow Ghoul for this to work. Come on... He'd set that card for a reason... Come on... The teen smirked in response to the look, and Katsuya had to mentally sigh in relief. Alright! He'd seen it then! "I play the Elven Knight in attack mode," Yugi announced, and in a shimmer of light the armed celtic guard had appeared. "I advance into the labyrinth," he continued, the elf moving four steps into the maze before freezing. Silence filled the air, and with a single nod he ended his turn.

 

Mei's reaction was fairly expectant; a large smirk, as he drew the card for his turn. "Hnhnhn... My turn... And the wall shadow strikes," he announced, the familiar shadow appearing across the walls again. "And his target is the Elven Knight!" The shadow continued along the walls, Yugi's elf taking an uneasy stance as the sound of sliding came over the board. "Hahahahahha! You can't escape," Mei shouted with a grin, his brother appearing just slightly uncomfortable with the volume. "The wall shadow will kill you in one blow... The elf is dead!" With those words the familiar mutated figure appeared from behind Yugi's elf, only for both Katsuya and Yugi to smirk. Regardless of how creepy that thing's blood-stained claws were...

 

"Heheheh... Got you," Yugi said with a grin, he and Katsuya both chuckling. Mei's expression became that of shock as from behind the Axe Raider came a silvery blur on a chain. "Chain Boomerang!" That wasn't what it was called... Eh, whatever. The chain clanked loudly, a large steel boomerang blade digging into the ghoul's side. The chain wrapped around the monster's hide and dug deep welts into its skin, Axe Raider smirking as he pulled the trap taught.

 

"Hahaha!" Katsuya grinned as he flipped the card over, holding it for their opponent to see. "Check it out," he shouted, grin widening as both Mei and Kyuu stared in shock. "Kunai with Chain wraps around and immobilizes enemies when they try to attack, lowering their power 500 points" he shouted, watching as Axe Raider tossed the weapon over to the Yugi's elf to hold for the moment. "I saved this trap card to help Yugi!" And it worked too! As the ghoul struggled pointlessly against its hold, Yugi as well smirked. Still his turn though, Katsuya thought before pointing his friend's monster forward. "Counter, Elven Knight," he shouted, the swordsman's strike cleaving its opponent's head clear off the monster's shoulders. He didn't need a command to do that of course. In fact, to his shock, it looked as though for a moment the elf had turned back to give him a look that said ' _What was the point of that?_ '. All the same, there was a hissing scream the monster collapsed into a pool of blood, neck twitching before the beast vanished into a mist. Yugi's Knight handed the boomerang and chain back to Katsuya's own Axe Raider, the monster nodding as it placed it on his side. "The wall shadow is killed!" As 'Mei's points dropped by a small amount, he crossed his arms. "Hehehe... How about that for a combo eh? C'mon Yugi," he shouted, mood greatly improved from a few hours prior. "Let's break this maze in two!"

 

"Right!" From behind, the others were cheering. They were always cheering really; it helped though, keeping his head on his shoulders during the duel. ' _Nice move,'_ Bakura was shouting, the target of his shouts mentally nodding with a grin. ' _You can do it!_ '. Well, at least they weren't doubting him anymore!

 

" _Did you guys see that_ ," Anzu was shouting from behind, Katsuya focusing his attention on the board for the moment. Had to focus on the duel, focus on the duel... " _Jonouchi's trap just saved Yugi's monster!_ " Yes, it did.

 

" _Yeah..._ " Bakura and Honda both seemed just as excited as their friend, though Bakura's voice was of course not as loud. " _It was a nice combo,_ " he said with a smile. Honda merely grinned, nodding.

 

" _Hah! You said it!_ "

 

Back at the table, Katsuya's grin had shrunk into a small smile to continue his own move. Alright... That was 'turn one', now it was turn two. They had to win this duel for everything, so he couldn't lose focus! All that in mind though... It was nice, hearing things like that behind him. Where it used to be 'can he do it'... Now he was getting 'he will'! These stupid player killers couldn't stop them. Not when he and Yugi were the opponents! "Jonouchi," Yugi said, turning to the blond. Katsuya blinked, before nodding. Right, right... He had to stop spacing out, honestly. "It's your turn..."

 

"On it," he said with a nod, drawing a card. Alright. He only had Axe Raider on the board, and it would probably be best to play more support for Yugi... "For my first move," he began, taking the card he'd drawn and playing it on the field, "I play the Flame Swordsman!" The warrior appeared in a column of flames, before moving a few spaces toward Yugi's elf. He wouldn't go the full six, but even a few steps were good. Lucky draw though, he thought with a smirk; this was one of his best monsters! "Next," Katsuya continued, as his Axe Raider adjusted his grip on the kunai he had, "I move the Axe Raider closer to the Elven Knight. Now that Axe Raider's used the kunai for a surprise attack," He continued, his monster grinning in response, "It becomes a normal weapon... But because of that, he gains a 500 point attack bonus!" Lesse, 1700 plus 500... Hah! 2200! Not a bad combo he had here! "And I'm done," he stated, leaning back on his chair. Now then...

 

What would 'Kyuu' do... "My turn," Kyuu shouted loudly, Katsuya jumping in response. Holy... He expected that from his brother damn it! That was loud! "Labyrinth Tank moves forward," he called, the monster trundling down the maze with a loud roar. The tank itself already looked fairly frightening, even as a miniature; the entire front was made of gyrating drills, each one of a different size and pointed toward the front. Six squares later however, it wasn't anywhere near the group... And as the whirring ground to a halt, that was a fairly large relief.

 

"It's my turn again," Yugi called, drawing his card and staring at the board. The boy seemed to sink into thought as he looked over his hand, leaving the room to fall in silence.

 

Katsuya frowned as he looked over, eyes narrowed. "Damn it," he muttered, leaning on the table. He had a feeling this duel would take a while... It would be more than worth it true- but it would take a while. "If only they could just jump over the walls, we could get this done way faster..." Beside him, Yugi chuckled, the blond turning in response. What was so funny?

 

"We can't do that Jonouchi," he said with a smirk. Oh. It was that. "Besides, Flying monsters don't work in the labyrinth!" Wait... They didn't? Why not? At his look of confusion Yugi continued, still smirking. "We can't see it as the players, but in actuality, this setting is a dark, stone dungeon with an equally solid ceiling. There's no room to fly!" Hoh... Like the actual room then. And the maze behind them. Well, if the board mirrored this place, that made sen-

 

Wait. "H-Hold on," he said, going pale. If flying monsters didn't work... "My red-eyes black dragon is a flying monster!" Shit! That was his best card too... "Agggh..."

 

Yugi nodded, smile vanishing. Yeah, he got that too, didn't he... "That's right... Dragons are no good in this setting," the teen stated with a frown. One could practically see the gears clicking in his head as he thought over that fact. "Warriors, beast-warriors, spellcasters... Anything that remains on the ground is fine. For now however," he continued as he drew a card. "We'll just have to go one step at a time! Now then... I play the Dark Magician!" A whirl of shadows appeared from the card, reshaping into the confident and violet robed sorcerer. "Advance," Yugi stated, giving a single nod before his monster moved forward. One two three... Six spaces. Katsuya looked down at their group of monsters, blinking. Their group was pretty tightly packed... Those Meikyuu brothers wouldn't be getting any sneak attacks near them at all! Hah!

 

It was Mei's turn now though. The man drew a card, before a frightening grin came over his face. Aw hell, that was never a good sign... Why did the opponent have to get that look whenever they came close to winning? "I play this card," he shouted, grinning. "Magical Labyrinth!" Magical laby-

 

There was a clacking sound, the walls retracting into the ground. What the hell! Gears sounded through the table, the entire thing vibrating violently as new walls appeared. Awww fuck, not this... The maze changed! "Gh..." And since their monsters took up two squares... "Shit... There's a wall between our monsters!" Damn... His two on one side, and Yugi's on the other. They'd split the team clean in half! Completely at that! "Tch... Okay," he shouted, drawing a card. Couldn't let this bug him. Yeah they were separated now, but he had to at least keep a clean head about it! Or something. Either way, had to win somehow. "I'm gonna go!" He'd need to take a big detour to get back to Yugi. At this rate, it'd be better to meet him at the end. "Alright guys," he decided, speaking mostly to his monsters. Not that they could hear him but... ...Huh. Well, regardless of doubts, they'd both just turned to him, creepy as that was. "Looks like it's just us warriors! Lets go!" Alrighty... Flame Swordsman could move 6 squares that was true, but Axe Raider was ahead of him, so for now it was just four. Axe Raider was already making his move in fact, though a small click came around the board at step 'three'.

 

Eh? As the monsters moved, Kyuu's expression abruptly changed into something far more frightening once more, Katsuya tensing in response. Aw shit, not that again- "Trap card activate," Kyuu shouted, the blond across from him groaning in response. Ahhhhh shit. "Jirai Gumo!" Spiders? Ffffff... NO!

 

NO.

 

AUGH. Auuuughh...

 

Crap there went his monster. "The trapdoor spider attacks your piece," Kyuu shouted, the ground cracking beneath the Axe Raider. As the monster looked down only seconds later, a monstrous spider tore through to throw the raider back. Axe Raider scrambled to flee the beast, only for the spider to pin him down and tear him limb from limb. Blood and bone scattered the field, and as the Flame Swordsman drew back, Jirai Gumo pulled itself out of the hole to sit in place with a series of chittering clicks. "That's the end for the Axe Raider!"

 

"Awww man..." He winced, watching his lifepoints drop down. Shit... That wasn't fair, the spider had a hundred less than Axe Raider, he shouldn't have been kill- He groaned, looking at the kunai and chain that had dropped to the ground in Axe Radier's death. Great. He'd been unable to use the weapon thanks to the trap... Damn it. ' _Hang in there Jonouchi'_ , Yugi was saying from the side as the blond looked down at the table. ' _Hang in there!_ ' He was hanging in there alright... Somehow.

 

Meanwhile across the table, Kyuu was proving how very like his older brother he could be. "HAHAHAHHA! He fell for it like a ton of bricks," he roared, his opponent growling in response. Oh great, talk to him as though he wasn't there why didn't he... "It's my turn," Kyuu shouted, eliciting another wince. Great. "And the Labyrinth Tank moves!" Shit... Shiiiiit! The loud whirring roared over the table as the tank came to life, barreling down the maze before taking a sudden turn toward the Flame Swordsman and Jirai Gumo both. Shiiiit! "G-Ghh..." Jirai Gumo with 2100, Labyrinth Tank right behind it with 2400. Nothing but wall behind his monsters... Flame Swordsman was all he had, and there was only 1800 in his case! "Shit... Looks like he's dead..." Sorry Flame Swordsman...

 

As Katsuya grit his teeth, the others shouted from behind. "Don't say that Jonouchi," Anzu was shouting with a frown. Well what the hell else was he supposed to do?

 

Honda as well joined in, nodding. "Yeah! Come on man, you can't give up just like that!" Yeah, except that there was a wall between the Dark Magician and all these monsters... This was as good as checkmate, unless Yugi got something. Wait...

 

Speaking of Yugi. "It's my turn isn't it?" The teen drew a card, giving it a single glance before smirking. Ah... That look. He had something then! Across from him, Kyuu continued to chuckle, before it faded. It looked like he'd seen the look too. "You think that you have him 'beat'? Don't be so cocky!" The smirk on Kyuu's face vanished completely, and Yugi dropped the card on the table. "My next card... Mystic Box! And I use them with the Dark Magician!" Hang on what? Mystic Box? As if to answer the question, the spell activated with a dull glow. Around the Dark Magician appeared an enormous box with slats on the sides, three doors locking the monster within after he willingly stepped inside. From the other side of the wall, another box also appeared... Though the other inhabitant wasn't so willing. The sound of swords clattering came through the air, and for each slat on the side of the box a sword pierced through clear to the other side.

 

' _Did he just kill himself,_ ' Kyuu was muttering with wide eyes, a piercing scream going through the table. Katsuya winced slightly, before shaking it off and paying attention to the duel. What kind of scream was that... Yikes. ' _No,_ ' Mei was shouting. _'Look!_ ' On the board, the door that was in the Dark Magician's place slowly creaked open, and Katsuya found himself grinning as Kyuu's words said exactly what he saw.

 

"Th... The one who died was the spider," he shouted with horror, as the door to the second box in front of the flame swordsman opened. "The Dark Magician moved between the boxes!" Yugi nodded, eyes narrowed. "Get it now," he asked, arms crossed. "The Magician teleported using the Mystic Box... It switched places with your spider, using it as a sacrifice! And now," he continued, his opponent's growing pale, "It gets another attack!"

 

H..Hah! "Yugi..." He grinned, turning back to the board as his friend continued. Alright... They were in the clear again!

 

"Dark Magician," Yugi shouted, the sorcerer pointing his staff towards the motionless Labyrinth Tank. "Cast your spells! BLACK MAGIC !" In a thundering crash of dark waves and lightening the tank collapsed. Metal creaked inward on itself before falling to bits on the ground, and as the younger of the Meikyuu brothers cried out at the strike to his lifepoints Yugi merely smirked. "The Tank is destroyed... Sorry to wreck your plan, 'Meikyuu brothers'," he stated, expression mirrored by Katsuya beside him. "But not even these walls can keep us from working alongside each other!"

 

As the twins across from them seethed, Katsuya turned to his friend with a look of relief. "Man... Thanks Yugi, you really saved me there..." Like really. Saved him. Well, it was an even trade off after the earlier trapped he supposed. His response was a curt nod as it came to the next of the brothers' turns.

 

"Let's get out of this maze together Jonouchi," he said with a smile, the blond nodding in response.

 

"Right!" Back to the game... Jonouchi smirked, turning back to the board with a determined gaze. They couldn't lose... Like the maze behind them, they'd just have to break through the one on the table!

 

They could do this!

 


	11. Theseus and Ariadne

 

It was only 'half way' through the duel so to speak. Minimal amounts of damage had been dealt to both sides- or rather they had until the latest move. Within one swift play from Yugi, 'Kyuu's most powerful monsters had bitten the dust. The rusted metal 'Labyrinth Tank' was currently vanishing into a fine powder on the board, and the corpse of Jirai Gumo was now collapsing into a pile of destroyed flesh.

 

Cheering had erupted from behind around the same moment, Honda in particular giving a loud shout as the two at the table stared their opponents down. "Yugi, Jonouchi!" he shouted, Katsuya turned briefly to grin at the expressions on their friends faces. All smiles and grins, shouts echoing around the large marble room. "You guys are at the top of your game man! Show them how it's done!"

 

Katsuya nodded, turning back to the table with a growing grin. "You got it," he shouted, watching as Mei angrily drew a card.

 

Well, wasn't someone a little ticked? "It's my turn," Mei growled, before his expression shifted to a grin once again. Ahhh shit that wasn't good. Stop switching... "First, I'll play Sanga of the Thunder on the board," he shouted, placing the card on the board. "Hehehehehe... My turn is over!" Okay... Wait, where was the monster? Yugi frowned from beside him, also staring at the blank space on the board questioningly. Nothing but a card for a few moments...

 

Abruptly however, a small box appeared above the card, tied firmly shut with a gold chord. 'Kaminari'... Thunder. That was the symbol on the lid but... Well shit, who knew what that meant for the moment! Deciding not to bother (The monster was face down after all), he turned his attentions back to the game. Well... He'd find out when he got there he supposed.

 

"Okay," he announced with a nod. "It's my turn! Hah..." Well... On the bright side... "Not a bad guy in sight," he said as his expression shifted to a slight smile, the teen drawing a card. Nothing in his hand that would really help prepare for something at the moment so... "Flame Swordsman charges forward!" Yugi beat all the enemies that they'd had. So with this they had a solid chance! Other than that there was nothing more to do. As the swordsman came to a stop six spaces down the path, he leaned back on the chair. "End turn!"

 

Across from him Kyuu nodded, drawing a card. "My turn again," he stated, before gaining a smirk fairly similar to the one his brother held constantly. "Hehehehhe... The second of the three great guardians is mine!" Wait what? Guardians? That's what they were! And... There were three? "I set this card face down as well," he announced, smirking. "Only one more before the Guardian springs to life!" Ahhh that didn't sound good... Mizu. The kanji for water was on this box. So they had thunder and water then... And there was a third. ... Why did he not want them to find that third one. "In addition to that," he stated, placing a second card on the table, "I'll play Dungeon Worm in attack mode!" As he played the card, nothing appeared to happen... For a few seconds the board fell silent, the card merely shimmering a slight moment. However, within an instant after deciding nothing would happen, a rumbling began.

 

Louder... Louder... Yugi and Katsuya both shared a frown as the shaking threatened to topple their cards off the side, before an ear splitting scream of horror came from the board. Katsuya turned, eyes wide as Yugi followed his gaze to the playing field. A gaping hole had been torn through the ground, an enormous worm swallowing the Elven Knight almost completely. "A... A monster from underground," Katsuya said with a growl, teeth clenched.

 

Shit, these two had loopholes around everything didn't they! Through the walls or underground... Below on the field the knight was fighting off the worm as much as he could, doing little more than gouging out one of the beast's eyes before shouting in pain. If Kyuu heard the screams, he certainly wasn't affected by them. He merely laughed, arms crossed again as he 'narrated' the fight. "The elf falls prey to the Dungeon Worm," he shouted, the enormous monster clamping his teeth on its victim before spitting out a bloodied leg and arm. Yugi's lifepoints dropped yet again as the limbs clattered to the ground, and although there was a wall between them it looked as though his former companions knew of his demise as well. The worm in the meantime slithered forward a few squares, as though sniffing out its next meal before it burrowed back to the ground with a low rumble. "Between meals," Kyuu stated with a smirk, his opponents sending a narrowed glare toward the man, "The dungeon worm hides itself under the labyrinth. Hehehehehhe... No matter where you run, you're worm food," he shouted, a mad cackle coming in with it. "And each time it devours an enemy, it's attack power rises by ten percent!" Ahhhh fuck!

 

Not percentages again! He grit his teeth before turning to the teen beside him. "Gh... Shit... Got any ideas Yugi," he asked nervously, eyes still trained on the hole. The others had to have heard that scream, it was damn scary! Like it was right beside him. Come to think... He swallowed, recalling (with a shudder) his duel with Kotsuzuka. No one had a reaction to the smell from the board. He'd thought that was because he was on the other end, or maybe because Kotsuzuka played with the zombie deck regularly but... Well heck, some of the crap in this duel was worse!

 

He shook it off, watching as Yugi drew a card. "It's my turn," he stated, a severe frown in place. He only looked at his card a moment before placing it on the ground with a shout. "And I play this spell; Magical Hats!" The area where their monsters sat were instantly covered by a shroud of 'dust', hiding the two from view. As the shroud collected it began to clear into four familiar black top hats, the 'question mark' band appearing as the last of the dust vanished. This card...

 

Katsuya grinned as the hats merged into one with the monsters inside. Yugi had used it against the Ventriloquist the day before! The hat split into four as they spun across the nearest four squares, before stopping in place with a light 'thmp'. 50-50 shot of a miss now. "Alright," he shouted, grinning as silence came over the table. "Now that worm won't know where to attack!"

 

At those words Yugi nodded, smirking. "Right... The Magician and Swordsman are hidden somewhere in those hats," he began, smirk growing wider in response to the scowls across from them. "Even with its power up from eating the elf, Dungeon Worm only has 1980 attack points; if it chooses the hat with the Dark Magician," Yugi continued, Katsuya watching as their opponent's faces fell even further, "Who has 2500 attack points, then your dungeon worm is dead!" Yes!

 

Which meant only a small chance of taking a hit! For a moment, there was no response, save for the growl from Kyuu. However, Mei's face twisted into a grin again, the man having drawn his card and looked over it. "Very well then," he began, Katsuya narrowing his eyes. Damn it, why was it that these two had to switch between 'win'-'lose' so fast... Seriously... "I play this card," he announced, an Arabian looking man with a whip appearing. The man pulled his whip taught, slouching over as he shimmered into full existence. "The Monster Tamer of Hell!" The whip cracked across the ground, the tamer grinning darkly at its master continued. "Ordinarily I wouldn't be able to control a monster which my brother played on the board," he stated, grin widening. "But by using Monster Tamer, not only do I take control of the dungeon worm, I increase its power by 600 points!" At the side, Yugi visibly winced. Shit... Six hundred with 1980... Definitely more than 2500. Not much more, but it was enough. Great... If that worm hit the Dark Magician, they were dead! Another crack of the whip, and Mei pointed the tamer forward. "Come on, Dungeon Worm! Attack the hat on the corner!"

 

The table began to shake loudly again, and each player looked forward as the rumbling increased. Fifty-Fifty chance of surviving here... Come on... Louder... Louder... Finally with a thundering roar it appeared, bursting through the top of the hat only to find nothing. "HAH! Yeaaaa!" The beast flailed angrily in an attempt to search out its prey, the cracking of the Monster Tamer's whip sounding in the background. As the worm finally slunk back into its hole with a growl of annoyance, Katsuya grinned. "It missed!"

 

While Yugi continued to stare at the hats, the blond had to drop the grin as he followed his gaze. If they stayed put they were screwed... Hmmm... "It's my turn," Katsuya announced, drawing a card. Abruptly, the cheer from before returned. This one... This was exactly what he needed! "Heheheh... Y'know," the blond said with a grin, flipping the card around in his hands before putting it on the board. "I just hate bein' stuck in dark places... FLAME SWORDSMAN," he shouted, the monster leaping from his hat at his master's command. As the hat dispersed in his wake, the table and those from behind frowned.

 

_'Jonouchi,'_ Yugi whispered from the side, voice a little overpowered by the shouts of 'WHAT' from the side. ' _What are you doing?_ ' He merely smirked, watching his spell take effect on the field.

 

"Take a look at this," Katsuya said, continuing to laugh. He knew exactly what he was doing... "The power of Salamandra, the Fire Snake!" From within the card shot an enormous dragon, flames licking the sides of the walls as he rushed through the maze. A frightening roar pierced the air, a few of the walls still left smoking in his wake as he surrounded the Flame Swordsman to bless its blade. "Salamandra goes inside the sword, increasing its power by 800," he announced, watching as the swordsman's blade glowed a red-hot orange before continuing. "Here I go... Do it, Salamandra! Attack the Dungeon Worm!" They were probably gonna tell him he couldn't do that... After all, the dungeon worm was underground. But that wasn't a problem Katsuya thought as he ignored them with a smirk. From the sword Salamandra reared his flaming head, giving off a loud roar before diving forward. Katsuya's smirk grew, the blond watching as flames dove into the hole beside Flame Swordsman. Silence passed over the board as the Meikyuu brothers went pale. No one said fire couldn't follow the monster...

 

He just hoped this worked.

 

More time passed, with seemingly no result. Finally however, he heard a faint roar from beneath the hole. Briefly, his eyes widened. Did that mean... Katsuya shifted a glance over to his opponents and Yugi both, seeing no reaction. Maybe not. Or maybe-

 

A roar of flames and Salamandra shot back out of the hole, a burning and half-eaten worm corpse tightly gripped in it's mouth. "AHAHA!" He grinned, pumping his fist. "YES! Take that!" the

blond shouted, watching as Kyuu's face went ghostly white. "The worm burns!"

 

Beside him Yugi grinned. "Not bad Jonouchi," he said, the blond turning to give him a similar look. The others as well were shouting now that the strategy had worked- truth be told if it hadn't, he wouldn't really know what he'd do... As it was they were in the clear now!

 

"Cheer while you can," Kyuu growled, drawing his next card. "For without further ado-" He stared at the card, scowl dropping for a frightening grin. Oh fuck. Ohhhh fuck he knew that face. Obviously not the same, but it was definitely similar to the look he'd seen on Kaiba's face when she tore through Sugoroku's card. Really. Similar. "I play this," Kyuu shouted with a cackle, before slamming the card on the board. A third box appeared on the field, the kanji for 'wind' clearly viewed on it's top for a brief moment. The cords holding the lids down snapped off with a 'crack', and from each box game a glowing orb of sorts while the boxes burned into nonexistence. "HAHAHA! Thunder, Wind, and Water, all united to form the ultimate being! Rise, Gate Guardian," he cried, a shadowy figure appearing from within the triangle the orbs created. "Demon God of the Three Elements! THE GATE GUARDIAN!"

 

He stared, frowning as the monster began to appear. There was a triangle of light hovering in place as a pair of arms shot through, followed by a second set, and a third... "What in the world," Yugi was muttering, the others struck silent. This... This was oddly similar to when Exodia was summoned, he had to say. With those thoughts he swallowed nervously, drawing back slightly in his chair.This... Didn't mean they lost right? If summoning Exodia meant 'instant kill'...

 

He frowned as the monster appeared before them, mouth slightly open. The three cards summoned into place were still there, and though the monsters were stacked on top of each other the cards being there cleared up one thing at least. They had three sets of attack. What the hell! The guardian roared, flexing its golden metal arms and claws dangerously from his position between the doors. Wellll wasn't that great... Even if they didn't have a door in mind, there was still a great big monster sitting between them! "Great," he muttered, teeth clenched. Gate Guardian... 'Guardian' indeed, how were they supposed to beat their way through that thing damn it! "I shoulda known there would have been a 'boss character'!" Shit...

 

Three layer monster looked pretty damn powerful. And of course the opponents were gonna rub it in about now. As usual. "Heheheheheh... A fatal mistake!" they both shouted, voices echoing around the room yet again. "You gave us time to summon the Gate Guardian! And now that it's here, there's nothing you can do!" You know...

 

He was really sick of those put downs. "Feh!" He snorted, glaring at the two men across from him. There had to be someway out of this. Besides, they were safe in the maze, the Gate Guardian was sitting where he was. "Listen up cue-balls," the blond shouted, his targets showing no visible response. "If you guys are gonna use card combos then so will we; we'll show you just what kind of power we have!" The brothers merely smirked darkly, Kyuu leaning back in his chair.

 

"Hnhnhn... I spent my turn summoning the Gate Guardian," he stated with a sneer, crossing his arms. Convenient that. Not that they could attack. Right? ...Right? "It's your move, 'Yugi'!" Alright...

 

Now what would he do... Yugi stared forward, eyes narrowed as he drew a card. "I'm going to play two cards face down," he stated, before bringing his arms back with a frown. Looked like aside from that he had nothing... "End turn!"

 

"My turn," Mei shouted, the boys looking over with a blank frown. "Gate Guardian," he continued. "Use your power! Sanga of the Thunder, attack the swordsman!" Hang on what! But there was a wall there! He winced, watching as a torrent of lightening charged towards his warrior. Not fair damn it! This thing shouldn't have been able to attack from outside, not after all the crap about flying monsters and stone tunnels they couldn't see! Shit...

 

Shit... "Damn it!" Sanga had a hundred points more than the Flame Swordsman even with his sword. He was dead! The blond frowned as he heard chuckling, turning to stare at Yugi.

"Hehehe... We'll see about that," he was muttering, flipping one of his set cards over. Oh? "I activate the card Mirror Force," he shouted, a smirk appearing on his face as he spoke. "It protects the Flame Swordsman, deflecting the electric attack back to the monster who dealt it!" At those words, a shining light sprang from the card across, shield appearing around the swordsman just as the lightning struck its side to bounce right back. Alright! He was in the clear!

 

"Thank's Yugi!" he shouted, grin appearing. Thanks to that card, they'd have one less piece of the Gate Guardian to deal with! At least... He'd figured that before a shout from Kyuu cut their cheer in two.

 

"Kazejin," he commanded, scowl set on his face as the middle portion of his Guardian responded. "Reflection! Storm Barricade!" Wait what? With a loud 'FWUUUUUU', the green 'orb' blasted a gust of air from its mouth, the winds appearing to swirl around the guardian before the lightning hit. Katsuya's eyes widened as the thunder was blocked, rebounding on the rest of the field nearby as his opponents laughed. "Heheheh... Reflection activates automatically when an enemy attacks," Kyuu announced, resulting in a brief scowl from his opponent. "Nothing hurts the Gate Guardian," he shouted. "Nothing!"

 

Again, Yugi chuckled, a smirk appearing on Katsuya's face as well. Though the thunder had failed to strike Sanga, it had done something... "Too bad your other monster isn't as safe," the teen stated, a pained cry sounding over the board. What was once the Monster Tamer was quickly fried into a black, burnt crisp, his ashes blowing away into the air in silence. "The Monster Tamer is killed!" And by his own ally too!

 

As Mei and Kyuu both began to growl at the chip to their lifepoints, Katsuya continued to grin. "Whew! That was close... Saved me again Yugi, nice one!" Really really saved him actually... Come to think, how many times had he done that so far? He shook it off, drawing his card instead. Couldn't think about that... He was just as competent a duelist after all! "Right... Now it's payback time," he shouted with a grin, the Flame Swordsman pointing his blade forward. Nothing in his hand that would help right now, so with a single nod he watched the Flame Swordsman move forward. Six steps... And with that, he was at the exit of the labyrinth! "Come on Flame Swordsman," he began, the blade charging with energy as he spoke. Now that he was in range, there was only one thing to do right now... First things first; get rid of that damn shield monster! "Attack Kazejin, with the fires of

Salamandra!"

 

A roar echoed through the room, the flaming serpent appearing around the blade with a nod. As the dragon charged forward however, it stopped in its tracks, the monster below its target opening its gaping mouth with a low chuckle. "REFLECTION," Kyuu shouted from above the field, his monster glowing slightly as the sound of rushing water began to come forth from its mouth. "Wall of water!" Shit! At those words, an immense blast of fluid poured out of the beast's mouth, surrounding the monster in a bizarre translucent pillar. Damn... That thing could create a shield too? He growled as Salamandra was held at bay, the dragon hissing as the barrier stood between it and its goal. "Hnhnhnhn... Now do you understand," the man continued with a chuckle, his opponents merely glaring in response. "Water, Wind, Thunder! The power of the three guardians makes their tri-form incarnation unbeatable! And now it's my turn," he shouted, the waters abruptly dropping to the ground in a pounding 'splash'. "Pay the price for your insolence! AQUA WAVE!" Shit...

 

The waters gathered into an immense wave as Suijin continued to pump out the liquid, the wave barrelling towards the hats and Swordsman both. Dark Magician would be fine Katsuya thought with a wince, the waters passing around the hats no problem. Those things were air tight so long as they weren't the target... This was a matter of water VS fire though! "No," Yugi was muttering, voicing his thoughts completely. "It's going to die!" Yeah. Yeah it was...

 

Nice knowing yah Flame Swordsman, he thought with a wince. "DROWN SWORDSMAN, DROWN ," Kyuu was shouting, Katsuya watching as the monster suffered from his elemental disadvantage. Salamandra had attempted to take the brunt of the damage, erecting a 'shield' across the blade. His flames however were easily extinguished, and as the waters continued to flow the Flame Swordsman was carried away beneath the depths. Gh... Shit! As the swordsman gave one last gurgling shout of terror, the point counter to the side began to flip through the numbers. Great...

 

There went his lifepoints again. "Damn it..." As the twins continued to chuckle, he frowned, gritting his teeth and muttering to himself. "Fuck! Losing Flame Swordsman right at the doors..." Worst luck ever worst luck ever... Wait. "This mean I have to walk through that maze all over again," he wondered out loud, scowl deepening at that thought.

 

"No," Yugi said, drawing a card. Katsuya blinked, turning to him with confusion. He wasn't talking to him but.. That was right. It was his turn. So did he have something to make a comeback? "Your swordsman's death wasn't a waste Jonouchi! Now it's my turn," he called, taking the card he'd drawn and placing it on the board. "And I'll use this card to follow in the Flame Swordsman's footsteps! Come forth, Skull Demon!" A dark thunderclap sounded through the air, and from the waters Suijin had left behind came an ominous shadow. Above the board the shadows began to converge, thunder rumbling through the air yet again as a figure materialized from the darkness. Towering over the walls of the labyrinth, the summoned skull stood, crossing his arms with sightless eyes as the storm around him continued to brew. One of Yugi's most powerful monsters had come... And given the name, whatever it did wouldn't be pretty.

 

The twins stared at it nervously, tension on their side of the board thick with fear before Kyuu frowned. "But," he muttered, attempting to reassure himself of his safety, "It's at the beginning of the maze! It's attack won't reach the Gate Guardian!"

 

More chuckling was heard in response, and already Katsuya had a feeling he knew what was going to happen. If its attack was anything like against Haga, then this would be good... Really good. "Heh heh... We'll see about that," Yugi was saying with a smirk, leaning back on his chair. Below, Skull Demon's clawed hands were held upwards, the storming clouds above sending bolts of lightning to his hands. As the demon charged his attack, Yugi's grin widened. "I thought I told you I'm following in his footsteps," he stated, his partner watching as the storm covered most of the board. "The footsteps of his path through the maze!"

 

At these words, the guardians reeled back, looks of horror appearing on their faces. The dungeon was still flooded from Suijin's attack after all... And it didn't take much to realize what water would do with Skull Demon's next attack. The two turned to look directly at their shorter opponent, eyes wide with fear. "T...That means..."

 

Yugi's smirk vanished to be replaced with a fairly vengeful scowl, the teen nodding to his monster in a silent command. "That means you DIE! _**DEMON LIGHTNING**_ ," he roared, the monster below giving a growl in response. Thunder sounded about the board, and from the demon's fists, lightning struck the water with a crash. "The electric shock races through the water with lightning speed," Yugi shouted, the current racing through the maze toward the Gate Guardian. All that was delaying the attack for now was the non-conductive surface of the walls and hats, forcing the electricity to bounce through the paths. "And it's headed for Suijin!"

 

"Alright!" Katsuya grinned, crossing his arms. The grin faltered however when he recalled the 'middle' portion of the giant. ' _Forget it,_ ' Kyuu was shouting, having realized the same thing. ' _I'll blow away the water with Kazejin's wind powers! Relfection!'_. Instead of a shield however...

 

The grin returned, and the twins followed his gaze with wide-eyed horror. Nothing was happening. Kazejin was merely frozen in place, hands against his cheeks as he attempted to give even a weak puff of air. "H-Huh! Nothin happened.. But why!" What did they mean 'why', were they blind?

 

Again, Yugi chuckled, smirk appearing on his face once more. "Surprised," he asked 'innocently', leaning on his chair. "Here's a clue... Remember when your wave passed over the top hats?" The two froze, eyes wide as Yugi held up the trap he'd activated. Below there was only one hat left over, Katsuya recognizing yet another move from the match against the 'Ventriloquist'. "Hnhnhn... When you did that, you set off this! The Spellbinding Circle!" The expressions of horror grew more, as did Katsuya's grin. YES! "Hexagram activate," Yugi roared, the circle encasing Kazejin completely from within the beast. "And as for Suijin," he continued, "EAT LIGHTNING!"

 

With those words the beast toppled to the ground, Suijin becoming little more than fried metal. The waters began to recede without the source of their power on the board, and while Suijin's ashen and rusted form collapsed into the water the board was eventually left clear of any evidence he even existed. Kyuu's lifepoints toppled yet again, and as the shouts came from behind to encourage them forward it was easy to ignore his pessimistic grumblings. "Alright!" Katsuya shouted, grin widening as he looked down at the two guardians on the ground. While Kazejin was completely motionless, Sanga was trying and failing to right himself on the board with an audible growl of anger. Haha! This boss was a piece of cake! They'd make it through easy! "We'll smack 'm from th' bottom up, like a

daruma otoshi!"

 

Across from him, Mei merely seethed. Eyes narrowed the man drew a card from his deck, almost as red in the face as his twin brother. "Gh... My turn again," he called out, placing a card on the table. "Undo-Magic," he called, the 'de-spell' lock appearing before them. With a loud 'click' the lock broke open, the circle locked around his brother's monster vanishing into a mist. "The spellbinding circle is removed!" At those words Kazejin shook himself, appearing to blush heavily with embarrassment before blowing a large gust of wind to propel himself and Sanga into the air. "Hah! The Gate Guardian is back," he called, his opponents merely staring with slightly narrowed eyes. "It's your turn!"

 

Katsuya nodded, drawing a card. "Okay then," he shouted across the board. "Here goes..." As he looked over the card, he to share a glance with Yugi. _'Jonouchi'_ , the boy was whispering, the blond nodding in response. Time for their trump cards! "Here's my card!" he shouted, placing it on the field with a determined glare. A shower of shadows and flames alike sprouted from the card, appearing to create an almost demonic flame. Ruby red eyes gleamed as they shone from the shadows, and in a flurry of black scales came the dragon he'd summoned to play. "Red Eyes Black Dragon!" A fearsome roar sounded through the air, and the dragon flexed his wings menacingly as it came to rest on the ground. "And that's not all," Yugi shouted, Katsuya nodding in agreement. That's right... Though they didn't get any more duels in the night before, they sure as hell got some trading done! "I use the magic card I played face down on the board, POLYMERIZATION!" As a swirling vortex appeared, sucking the two closest monsters inside, Yugi smirked. "This is our combo," he shouted, the vortex pulling in even more before an earth shaking roar bellowed through the air. "Summoned Skull and Red-Eyes Black Dragon," he shouted, his partner staring as the creature came into full view. "Combine to become the Black Skull Dragon!" The blond grinned as their opponents grew pale again, leaning against his chair. "Hah! This is our team's ultimate monster," he shouted, before Yugi nodded in agreement. Below on the board, 'Black Skull Dragon' was looking himself over in apparent confusion, as though wondering just what had happened in the last two seconds. In the end however it appeared to decide that whatever had occurred was a welcome change, turning its gaze to the maze before them. "You better look for a new dungeon," Katsuya continued with a grin, the dragon before them flexing his now bone-rimmed wings and claws with a growl. "Cause we're breakin' this one int' pieces!"

 

The twins before them merely stared, mouths hanging open. One minute passed... Two... Hah! They were so shocked by the summon that they were- "HAHAHAH! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

 

Wait what.

 

He frowned, drawing back slightly. Ok... Yeah he'd made a joke about breaking the maze in two but... His joke wasn't nearly that funny, what the hell was going on. "Fools," Kyuu shouted, grin mirrored only by his brother, "Have you forgotten? This labyrinth can only be crossed by grounded creatures... You can merge as many monsters as you like," he continued, the twins still laughing loudly, "But a dragon is always a dragon!"

 

From beside him, Mei's grin grew as well, becoming dangerously sharklike. "The Black Skull dragon still has wings," he shouted with a grin, "So it can't fit into the narrow corridors... It can't get in range of the Gate Guardian!"

 

"But the Gate Guardian," the twins chorused, Katsuya growing paler with each word, "Can attack the entire maze! AHAHAHAHAH!" Shiiiiit... Shhiiiiiiiit! Of all the fucking things to come up!

 

"Ghn..." They were right! Yugi had even told him, 'flying monsters _WILL NOT WORK HERE_ ', he'd just screwed everyone over by-

 

Wait...

 

Yugi could have just not used polymerization with his dragon. But he'd used Red-Eyes anyways. What the hell, why the hell did he do that.. What... "H-Hold on..." He narrowed his eyes, looking over to Yugi. The teen was still smirking for some reason. Did he have another half of this plan then? "You... You knew about that too Yugi... Heck you're th' one who told me, but y' still used Polymerization so..." He coughed, silently wondering if he really screwed up as much as he did. Heck, if Yugi thought they needed a big giant dragon on their field... His friend merely nodded in response, resulting in a loud sigh of relief. Phew! Leave it to Yugi to figure out a way out of this... "Heheheheh..." He looked forward, confidence restored yet again as he crossed his arms. "Alright baldies! In that case, I'm done here!"

 

More shouts came from behind, Katsuya's smile growing larger with each one. ' _You can do it guys,'_ Anzu was yelling, her cheers outweighing their opponent's chuckling by a long shot. ' _Us getting out of this maze depends on you, go for it!_ ' Honda was calling, the rest of their words fading into mutterings. Bakura's voice had grown quiet in particular, even by the albino's standards. Before he could put more thought into it however, he heard something else. For a brief moment, he thought that what he was hearing was rumbling... Not the 'earth-quake' kind either, more... He didn't know, but as his smile faded it felt weird.

 

He shook it off, focusing on his opponent. One move and he'd see what Yugi was planning... "My turn," Kyuu shouted, before moving to draw a card. A menacing grin came over his face as he looked at what he'd picked up, Katsuya growing pale under the gaze sent their way. H-Hihhh... That was not a good sign... "Heheheh..." The man chuckled, before looking over at the group with a frightening sneer. "This card even scares me," he muttered, before placing it on the table. From the board came an eerie set of shadowed arms, each one ripping into the ground with an unnerving amount of silence. "The magic card Ryoku," he cried, Katsuya and Yugi both staring with a frown. Ryoku... What... The shadowed hands shifted, as though digging for something, and the blond's eyes narrowed further. What the hell did that- He turned, watching as Yugi's expression shifted to that of horror, the boy's eyes glued to his life-point counter. "HAHAHHAHAAA!" Shit that couldn't be good. If Yugi was freaking out, that could only mean- "Now your lifepoints belong to me," he called, Katsuya's eyes widening as those behind him groaned.

 

"Wait... No way," he shouted, turning to watch his life-point counter tumble down to half the original amount. The steady 'beep' of the counter soon clicked to a stop, the blurred numbers glowing a neon yellow as opposed to the 'safe zone' of green. "Our life points-!" Ryoku took half their lifepoints and...

 

And... "I take the power from you," Kyuu shouted darkly, the blond across from him watching as the same shadowed arms tore back from the ground with two glowing orbs. "And feed it to the great Gate Guardian!" W-Wait... So... If Sanga had 2600... That would make him more powerful than... As these thoughts came to mind, 'Ryoku' tossed the two orbs to the monsters above, who both eagerly devoured them and grew in size. If he didn't think metal, 'mecha' type monsters could be menacing before... Well case in point, the two in front of him looked more like floating demonic spirits than robots by this point. He grew pale, swallowing. Shit... Shit they were s- "I can't attack on the same turn that I play Ryoku," Kyuu stated bluntly, his grin still in place. Oh... Oh ok. The blond sighed in relief, shaking his head. Well, that was alright... "But next turn," the man continued, Katsuya wincing at the shout, "When Sanga of the Thunder and Kazejin attack together, they will have 3500 attack points... More than enough to kill your dragon!" As the teens tensed at those words, Kyuu merely continued to laugh loudly with his brother. "Hahaha! No matter what you do, your lives will end on my next turn!" Gh...

 

Damn it... 3500 was more than enough to wipe at least one of them out too... Beside him, Yugi merely narrowed his eyes, drawing a card from the table. "Hn," he muttered, sitting up in his chair. "Before that," he announced with a shout, "It's my turn!" The teen looked over his hand, nodding to himself and looking back at the board. Alright... Lets see what he was doing! "Dark Magician proceeds toward the exit from the labyrinth," he called out, Katsuya blinking from beside him. Ah wait what? On the board, the top of one of the hats flew off to the side, and as a hand came to grab the edge the Dark Magician swiftly moved to pull himself out. Landing with a soft 'thump' to the ground and giving his master a nod, he turned to face the hall that lead directly to the maze exit. Dark Magician... But he wasn't nearly enough to take on the Gate Guardian. Course, Yugi probably had a plan going so he probably couldn't complain. Still, what was he going to do? "Dark Magician," Yugi continued with a set glare, eyes not moving from the end of the board. "You're a seven star monster... So advance seven spaces!" Again, the magician nodded, before doing as commanded. Seven spaces...

 

That would take him a full square out of the maze. Quiet tapping noises echoed around the board, and as the Meikyuu brothers continued to laugh at the move the teen's eyes narrowed.

 

"Listen up," he shouted, pointing toward them as his magician continued to walk steadily to his goal. "We'll continue on no matter what stands in our way... So long as there's even a slight chance! With seven steps," Yugi continued, the room falling silent, "We're out of the maze... And one step away from the exit! And before my turn ends," he continued, "I'm playing one more card!" As it was placed on the ground, Katsuya stared, a small glow appearing on the field beneath Kazejin. "Monster Reborn," he called out, the glow from the card and field both intensifying. "I'm going to raise one of your monsters and make it defend my own!"

 

At this, Mei merely smirked. "Hah! Bring back any monster you want," he shouted, apparently oblivious to the fact that beneath Kazejin's breath, pieces of metal were now re-forming. "It won't make a difference... And now it's my turn! Gate Guardian," the man shouted, his monster rumbling in response as it attempted to steady itself above their revived former comrade. "Attack the Dark Magician!" Ohhhh Yugi this better work... He was dead if that hit connected... "Double Attack," Mei continued with a grin, the metal form of Suijin still morphing and misting back into shape. "Demon's Wind and Thunder!"

 

The blast was gathered above the magician, tendrils of fire and air swirling as they charged for the inevitable before chuckling broke out from Katsuya's own side. The twins couldn't see it from there but... Katsuya continued to snigger as Suijin finished rising at the bottom of the Gate Guardian, while Yugi crossed his arms to watch. "Attacking is useless," he stated, watching as the charged attack shot forth, he continued. As he said this, the watery demon across from them rumbled, as if to ask what happened while he was gone. "Suijin," he shouted, the monster abruptly dropping his mouth open for the familiar torrent of water to escape. "Use Reflection!"

 

The Meikyuu brothers froze as the water shot forward, wrapping around the Dark Magician in a large protective dome. "S-Suijin!" That was right... And while Suijin's reflection wouldn't be as effective as Mirror force, they wouldn't take damage that turn. Nor would they take damage when Suijin was destroyed, since it wasn't their monster!

 

He grinned, arms crossed as he laughed. "Hahaaah! Smooth move Yugi!" They survived this turn... Somehow. "Now.." What to do... Ignoring the mutterings from their opponent he looked down at his deck, grin disappearing to shift back into his determined glare. ' _Alright,'_ Yugi was saying, the look he gave telling him all he needed to know. All on him now... _'It's your turn, Jonouchi!_ ' The blond nodded, eyes narrowing as his hand came to rest on the deck. "Yeah..." Now what...

 

He drew a card, frowning. Everything depended on his draw. There was only one way to win! Once Suijin was destroyed, they'd be screwed, and there was no way that the Meikyuu brothers would stand to have their attacks blocked again. One shot... He looked over his card, before blinking. This... This card was...

 

A grin came over his face as a plan came into being, and he chuckled. "Heheheheh... I just had a good idea," he said with a grin, the 'Copycat' card gripped tight in his hand. "I play Copycat!" he shouted, grin widening as the card began to glow on the board.

 

"W-What!" The twins balked, eyes wide as they leaned over the table to stare at the monster. "The mimic illusionist!" Damn straight it was! Katsuya continued chuckling, watching as the mirror-faced wizard appeared on the board. The robes swirled as the magician waved cheerily, quite uncaring about the fear on his opponent's field.

 

"That's right... And I'm gonna copy your card 'Ryoku'," the blond shouted, crossing his arms with a grin as the magician suddenly sprouted those same shadowed arms from before. "In other words, I'm taking half of yer life points and turnin' them into power for US!" The arms tore through the ground from Copycat's card, swiftly returning from their search with the stolen lifepoints. "And I'm giving it all to the Black Skull Dragon!" With a violent roar, the dragon on their field took both, pulsing as he increased in size and devoured the energy received. Meal finished, he reared up on his hindlegs with a 'grin' of sorts, Copycat vanishing from the board now that his work was done. Alright! Half of each the brothers lifepoints was added to the dragon's power... And if his math was right...

 

"Good job Jonouchi," Yugi said with a grin, his friend nodding in response. That gave Black Skull Dragon over 4000 attack points... Yes! With this kind of power, they could easily beat the Gate Guardian! ...Or at least keep it from attacking really. Across from them, the Meikyuu brothers were seething, as though unable to tell if they should laugh or scream.

 

In the end it looked as though they decided on screaming. "You stupid morons," Kyuu roared, Katsuya taking back all comments on one being calmer than the other. Holy shit he could not wait to get out of here... "How many times do I have to tell you! The Black Skull Dragon CANNOT CROSS THE LABYRINTH!" He continued to growl, red faced as he drew a card. "It's my turn!" he shouted, visibly shaking as his brother blinked a few times at the tone. The seeming confusion didn't last however.

 

"KAZEJIN DESTROYS SUIJIN!" Kyuu continued, the brother sharing a crazed glance with his twin. From directly above him, Suijin was blown against the ground, the force of the wind enough to leave a crater that hit the board itself. The rest of the metal followed after it within moments, and as it vanished from sight Kyuu's face was still held in a crazed grin. "Haha...Ha..."

 

"Hehehehehe..." As the two turned back to face their opponents, they grinned viciously, the elder apparently deciding to ignore the change in composure from his brother. "Now what, Yugi?" Mei called with a grin, his own expression no different from that of the start of the duel. "You have no way of blocking our attacks... And on the next turn, we win! HAHAHAAA!"

 

Katsuya frowned, before a glance to Yugi told him that this was far from the case. Well... He had a plan obviously. Didn't have a clue what it was, but it was probably something good. "Hnhnhn..." The boy smirked, arms still crossed as he looked across the board. "Now's the time when I laugh," he began, the Meikyuu brothers tensing in response. "Haven't you figured it out," Yugi asked, leaning forward to take one of the cards he'd set off the board. "The real reason why I took the Dark Magician through the maze?" As the twins continued to tense the teen held it up, activating it. "This! The magic card shift! This card switches my monsters, letting me put the strongest ones up front!"

 

Hahaaa! Yes! Katsuya grinned as the card was replaced on the board, activating at Yugi's words; _'SHIFT,_ ' he called out, and from both monsters came a blinding light. With this... Black Skull Dragon didn't need to bother with the maze! The light intensified, surrounding the monsters both before slowly dying down. At their side of the board appeared the Dark Magician, the sorcerer kneeling in a defensive stance. He stood up once the light cleared, and after sending a glance to his master chose to turn his attention to the other side of the field. At the other end however came a rage filled growl, bone-white armor on pitch black scales appearing from the pillar of light. Black Skull Dragon was there and ready to fight. And since Kazejin's shield only worked on monsters other than itself...

 

"Alright," the blond cheered, before pointing the dragon forward with a nod from his friend. His turn after all... It was time to finish this! "Black Skull Dragon! _METEOR FLARE!_ " The dragon roared, rearing on it's legs at the command. Without even bothering to charge an attack it released a series of red-hot blasts from its mouth, each one hitting their target clean in the face. With destruction of both Sanga and Kazejin the twins points plummeted simultaneously, the devices hitting zero and giving off a loud 'beep' in response. "Heh... We win!" he shouted as the holograms dispersed on both sides of the field, point counters 'clicking' off at those words. Behind him the others were shouting, and with a sliding clack the group watched six starchips come across the board. The maze had clicked back into the board immediately after loss, and grabbing two of the chips from the relatively smooth surface he grinned further. "Haha! We can get t' the castle now!"

 

As they gathered their cards however the twins began to chuckle again, eliciting a frown from their former opponents once more. "Hnhnhnhnhn..." The pair grinned, arms crossed. "This game isn't over just yet..." Wait what?

 

"What th' hell are you talkin' about," he muttered, frowning. The duel was over, of course it was... "Didn't we just beat you?"

 

Kyuu shrugged, the cunning smirk still on his face. "Oh yes," he stated, "You have our respect for defeating us in our own labyrinth of course..." Yeah, 'respect'... "And you've gotten your starchips," the man continued, sharing a look with his brother.

 

"But don't tell me you've forgotten," asked Mei, his own expression also rather fox-like in appearance. "You haven't really won until you actually get out of the maze!" Gh... Katsuya scowled, tensing against his chair. That was right, they still had to pick a door... Shit.

 

"Hnhnhn.." He turned as Yugi began to chuckle, a smirk on the boy's face. "Oh, we haven't forgotten... Isn't this what you said?" he asked, pocketing his deck before crossing his arms. While Katsuya as well pocketed his cards, he watched as his friend continued, smirk widening. "There are two doors, 'Mei' and 'Kyuu'; only one leads to the surface... And we only get to open the door of the person we beat! However," he added, his friend slowly turning back to stare at the back walls. "We defeated you both at the same time! So both doors should be opened!" That was right..! If it was a tie, they should get both shots right?

 

"No," shouted the brothers, Katsuya gritting his teeth. Great... Apparently not. "Only one door will open," they shouted, the blond continuing to growl in response.

 

"Come on!" he shouted, the twins merely chuckling in response. Seriously, what was with these pricks and pulling rules from their ass? "That ain't fair at all!"

 

"Yeah," came the voice of the others, Anzu's voice angrily rising above those behind her. "If that's the case then there was no point in a double knock out!" As the woman finished her own two cents, Honda's annoyed growl could clearly be heard rising in volume, the teen red-faced at the moment.

 

"Damn it... We're still stuck with a 50-50 shot at this! What the hell was the point of the duel!" Yeah, that was his question too... Then again, this did mean they could choose either one.

 

The Meikyuu brothers continued to laugh, their voices echoing around the room amid the growls of the others. "That's right," they chorused, taking a relaxed seat against their chairs. "Now you must choose your fate... On your right, 'Kyuu', and on your left, 'Mei'!" Laughter continued, the brothers gesturing to their respective doors. "Which one will you choose?" As the group continued to grumble, the brothers grinned. "Let me give you a hint," Kyuu was saying. "The 'Kyuu' door is right."

 

"No no," Mei was adding with a smirk, clearly enjoying the position of 'power' he and his brother held. "The 'Mei' door is the best choice!" Damn itttttt... He gripped the side of the table, scowling.

 

"Damn it, I know one of you is lying," he shouted, grinding his teeth before standing up from his seat. "But you can both shut up until we figure out which one, got that?" As the twins continued to chuckle, he sat back down against his chair and grumbled. Man... They said that they'd speak in truths or lies, but all they did was point last time... If that was all they'd do when asked a question, how the hell was he supposed to figure this out? "Man..." The blond rubbed his face, groaning. How could those two morons be so confident in this, it was a 50-50 shot they'd be right... Damn it, this was all hurting his head... "I can't think anymore Yug'," he muttered as the others came by to help out with the 'riddle'. "It's all yours..."

 

"Jesus Jonouchi, pull yourself together," Honda muttered from behind. Just shut up, his head was pounding right now...

 

More chuckling came from the other side of the table, and Katsuya looked up with narrowed eyes. Hn... What now? "It seems you're pondering the existence of a third door," Kyuu was asking Yugi, toothy grin still in place.

 

"How about this," Mei offered, gesturing to the open room. "We'll give you five minutes to search every inch of this hall." They were letting them search..? The blond jumped out of his chair, nodding. Alright...

 

If that was the case, maybe he could figure out if one of the doors was fake too! "Got it," he shouted, the others turning to run about the room as well. "Let's search this place top to bottom!" As he moved to check around the back however, Kyuu's voice could be heard again. Now what? _'Aren't you going to look,'_ he was asking, Katsuya turning back to see Yugi still sitting on the chair with a smirk. He wasn't..?

 

"I'm fine where I am," the teen said confidently, smirk still in place. "It's easiest to judge the correct door from this spot." Well... If he said so. Really Katsuya thought with a shrug, he was probably right. He moved off to the back of the room, peering beneath the doors best he could. As he attempted to see where the light went (If it stopped, there was probably a wall, but so far it was just fading out...), the blond suddenly tensed. He stood, a frown over his face as an eerie feeling came over him. Both doors were real, no doubt about that... But that wasn't what had him all creeped out. Right now...

 

He could hear it again. That rumbling sound from before. He turned, frown deepening as the strange, air-shaking rumbling came around the room. Nothing seemed wrong... No one else looked like they were feeling it, save maybe Bakura; the albino was holding his head, back facing the other as he appeared to shake himself off. The others however were searching around the sides, checking for cracks or even buttons that would lead to a third door. What was going on though...

 

The blond narrowed his eyes as for a moment, he swore he heard muttering. Now what- "FIVE MINUTES ARE UP!" the Meikyuu brothers shouted, Katsuya jumping as he was pulled out of his thoughts. The blond sighed, walking back with the others. Well...

 

No luck on his part. "Sorry Yugi," he said with a grimace, turning to his friend as he came to the table. "Looked everywhere but there's no way of tellin' which way t' go from that..."

 

As Bakura came up from behind, he turned, blinking as Anzu asked him how he'd done. "What about you Bakura?" she was saying, the albino looking a little worse for the wear. Anzu and Honda also had no luck, maybe Bakura did? "Did you find anything?" The teen shook his head, appearing just a little...

 

Off. "No," he said quietly. "I didn't..."

 

“Something wrong?” Across from them, the twins were laughing again, both gesturing toward their door. "Well then! Back to the matter at hand!" they shouted, the group turning back to face them. "Yugi," the brothers called, "Choose a door! Will it be Mei... Or Kyuu?" The teen merely smirked, and Katsuya watched as he held up two 10 yen coins between his fingers. One one, the kanji 'Mei' and other, 'Kyuu' was written. That was one way to do it he guessed. The twins across from them blinked as they stared at the coins, before bursting into laughter. "AHAHAHHAA! You're going to decide with a coin toss?" Really confident... And how was two coins a coin toss? While Yugi replaced them in his hands however, he frowned. Hang on... He had 'kyuu' on the opposite side of the 'Mei' coin as well...

 

What was that about? "Be quiet and watch," the teen ordered calmly. "I have a coin in my left and right hands..." There was a soft clink as Yugi folded his hands over and put them down. "And I now put them on the table... We're going to play a small game," he continued, those behind him blinking. "I will keep these coins covered with my hand... And you will decide which one I move. The coin that remains hidden," Yugi stated, eyes narrowing slightly, "Will be my guess. Are you ready?" he asked, the brothers conversing across him for a moment. As they whispered, Katsuya stared, finding an odd feeling of paranoia creeping up. Was something else in the room? Sheesh, it was like someone was holding a knife to his back right now, what the hell? He turned slightly, seeing no one but Bakura and the others behind him. What was going on... Felt like the air was a freaking blanket or something... The blond swallowe, turning to look back at the table as Mei guessed the left hand. "Alright then," Yugi stated, removing his hand from the coin.

 

"Ahhh," Kyuu stated with a smirk. Upon the coin revealed was the kanji 'kyuu', and while a majority of the group looked across the table in silence it's 'counterpart' continued to grin. "My door! So then the coin in your other hand must be Mei!" He chuckled, Yugi merely narrowing his eyes. "Which means you chose my brother's door!" From behind, Katsuya tensed yet again. Something behind him..!

 

He turned only to see Bakura narrow his eyes, muttering. "He chose Mei?" Bakura was asking, somehow seeming a little less than his usual self. _'B-Bakura,'_ Anzu was asking as the teen moved past, frowning. "No- You're wrong Yugi!" the albino shouted. "The Kyuu door was the right one!" What the... How the hell did he know?

 

Chuckling came over the table again, and Kyuu merely smirked. "It's too late," he stated, his brother chuckling as well at the growls from most of their 'victims'. "Yugi already chose the Mei door... Hehehhehe..."

 

"You should have listened to your friend instead of taking a gamble Yugi," Mei continued with a grin, chuckling continuing to echo about the room. "The correct answer is... The Kyuu door!" With a click, the door labeled 'Kyuu' opened wide, a single gold key revealed. It was fairly ornate in appearance, and definitely unique. Of course, like everything else that door had to do with, the kanji 'kyuu' could be seen rather clearly on it. "HAHAHHAHAAAA..." The twins continued to laugh, grins widening "This key is the only thing that can open the exit," they cheered, Katsuya's frown deepening in response. Oh great... And what he wouldn't bet that these guys would catch him picking the lock in an instant. Not that he couldn't take two guys, but it'd probably be difficult given earlier acrobatics. "You chose wrong Yugi... Thereby, you are forbidden to leave this labyrinth! You and your friends must stay here," they continued with a low growl. "Forever!"

 

At this both Yugi and Bakura began to chuckle, Katsuya finding himself looking at the taller of the two with a slight frown. Alright, what the hell was going on with Bakura? "I knew it," Yugi was saying, his friend attempting to pay attention to his words rather than the albino behind him. "You gave everything away," he continued with a smirk, the twins quickly frowning in response. "All the clues I needed were on your faces! Those smug expressions, confident that I wouldn't choose correctly... Because there is no right answer!" Wait what? Katsuya blinked, turning to look at the doors. "If I chose Mei you'd say the correct door is Kyuu... If I chose Kyuu, you'd say Mei..."

 

"In other words," Bakura continued from behind, voice seeming fairly unlike the teen, "They decide which door is correct, after knowing what their opponents choose." As the teen chuckled, Katsuya and Anzu both shared a nervous glance. Maybe Honda couldn't tell from behind the guy but... Well, given he was right between them it was fairly clear to at least them that this wasn't normal behaviour. "It's the perfect swindle," Bakura was saying with a low chuckle, a small shiver running up their spines. What was wrong with Bakura? Across from them, Kyuu merely snorted.

 

"Feh! It doesn't matter," he shouted, smirking again. "You still couldn't answer correctly... Therefore, we win!"

 

Yugi shook his head, and as Katsuya looked at him again he noted that the second coin was still covered. "Not so..." He moved his other hand, revealing the 'kyuu' kanji on his second coin. ' _WHAT,'_ the twins were roaring, eyes wide with shock. ' _BOTH.._ ' "Hnhnhn... The coin I hid under my right hand only had Kyuu written on one side... But the first coin," he continued, the smirk growing, "Had 'Mei' written on one side and 'Kyuu' on the other... Hnhnhn... I forgot to tell you," he added, picking up the two coins and pocketing them as his opponents seethed. "One of my hands doesn't play fair..."

 

"Hnnnng!" Katsuya smirked as the two brothers in front of them growled, the younger ripping out the 'Kyuu' key and tossing it over. "Tch! You win!" Kyuu shouted, his brother merely looking at them in aggravated shock. "Take the key and get out of our sight!" Hahaha!

 

Yeah! "What..." The blond blinked, as Bakura's voice came from beside him quietly. Turning to look at the albino, he stared as his friend looked around confusedly "Erm... W-What just happened..?" Katsuya frowned, looking at the teen. What did he mean 'what just happened', he was right there... "Er... Did you just win Yugi?" he asked, turning to the boy.

 

Beside him Anzu frowned, raising an eyebrow. "Are you feeling alright..." Yeah... That was a good question. It really didn't look like it. Katsuya grabbed the key from the table, walking over to the 'Kyuu' door with a frown as his thoughts stewed. What the hell was going on here... It was like Monster World without the monsters. He attempted to shake it off, pushing the key into the door and turning it with a 'click'. A loud 'thunk' could be heard as a crack appeared in the center of the door, the door swinging outward with a loud creak. They could deal with this later- it wasn't like Bakura had put the ring on or anything right? That would be completely and horribly... Stupid.

 

Bad.

 

Really stupid and really really bad. Um. He forced the paranoia back again, better judgment vanishing in lieu of a grin. "Alright," he shouted, tossing the key back to the Meikyuu brothers behind them. Not really caring where it landed, he focused his attentions to the dark tunnel ahead of them. "We're outta the maze... Next stop," he continued, walking through the door, "Pegasus' Castle!"

 

Now wasn't the time to worry about things; they had ten starchips, and no where to go but 'up'!

 

"Lets go!"

 


	12. Tiger and Dragon

The other side of the door was as they expected. Or at least it was expected after everything else they'd encountered so far. The only light they had came from within the room, and as they stepped out into the hall a quick look to the left told them there was only one way to go. As Honda moved off to the right with mutterings of getting out, Katsuya found himself glaring at the second 'Mei' door at the side. "Fuck..." He shook his head, walking after the others and stowing his hands in his pockets. "Now that we're on the other side, both doors lead to the same place... Stupid Meikyuu brothers," he muttered under his breath, eyes narrowed in annoyance. "What a bunch of liars..."

 

A few nods from the side told him that essentially everyone else shared his thoughts on this, though their way of showing it varied from his own livid scowl and Bakura's ever so slight frown. Either way, making their way down the path made it fairly easy for their fried nerves to cool down. Heck, the moment they'd left the room 'Other Yugi' had become the 'Original Yugi', and was cheerily heading down the hall behind Honda. If that wasn't a sign that his 'other self' was feeling relaxed, he didn't know what was.

 

Only one turn down the far more spacious path and a series of candles could be seen along the walls; hopefully if someone had bothered with putting lights here, they were in the clear. "Either way," Honda muttered as Anzu mentioned this under her breath, "We can't relax just yet..." Behind them, holding the tail-end of the group, Bakura nodded.

 

"That's right," he muttered, adjusting his sweater as his frown deepened slightly. For a moment Katsuya's eyes were drawn to the shirt itself but... "We still don't know if this path will lead us above ground..."

 

Katsuya merely snorted, hands still in his pockets as he scowled and focused on the path again. "Heh... With luck it'll lead us right t' th' castle dungeon and we can slam Pegasus a good one!" He gave a harsh laugh, a sound that lightened considerably when Honda joined in with a grin himself.

 

"Hey," he said with a smirk, turning back to the blond. "Don't forget me! I want to get a few hits in myself you know!" Another snort, though this one was fairly more lighthearted in tone.

 

"Hah! Yer gonna have t' beat me first then, cause there won't be anything left by the time I finish!"

 

At this, Honda merely turned back to the front with a laugh. "Well in that case," he began with a grin, "I'll just have to do that!" Katsuya moved to respond to that, before stopping himself short.

 

' _In that case,_ ' he remembered her saying, _'Let me put it this way. I'm going to get to Pegasus' castle before you!'._

 

Seto-chan...

 

Was she alright? From ahead Honda had noticed that the conversation fell short, and turned his full attention on the path. The others as well were keeping fairly silent as they walked, and the blond found himself staring at the dimly lit path in silence. She didn't look to good before. Hell if she'd admit it, but he was still worried!

 

...

 

God, what was the world coming to when he was worried over Seto Kaiba.

 

She could look after herself if the duel before was any sign! Geeze... It didn't take long before silence completely covered the group. Anzu was distracting herself with the walls, as was Honda. Bakura in the meantime held a steady if not hesitant pace at the back, eerily quiet even by their standards. Looking to the side for a moment, Katsuya noted that Yugi seemed to be staring into his backpack in silence. Listening close the blond could hear him whispering, most likely to his Grandfather by means of the camera. Before he could really focus on what they were saying however, Bakura broke the silence with a nervous cough.

 

"Ah," he pointed forward, expression changing from nervousness to slight relief. "Look! There's light over there!" The group turned in the direction he pointed, grins quickly spreading on most of their faces. Well damn... Stairs!

 

"It's an exit," Honda shouted from ahead, charging forward as the tie from his headband flapped behind him. "It has to be!"

 

"At last," Anzu cried, running forward as the others picked up the pace as well. The sound of backpacks thumping up and down on their owner's shoulders filled the air, as did a number of cheers while the light brightened. "We can finally get out of this place!" Footsteps thundered across the stone ground as a stair case came into view, light from the sun pouring through the exit at an almost blinding sheen. "We made it!"

 

Katsuya's grin grew further, and as he ran up the stairs he caught the grin that Yugi had beside him. "ALRIGHT! Come on," he shouted, his friend nodding from beside him. "Next stop, Pegasus'-" He cut himself off, almost tripping as he came out of the staircase to stare ahead of them. Trees surrounded most of the exit, which of course had led directly to the grounds. As he moved forward to look around however his silence persisted, Yugi also freezing as they both looked forward. By this point the others had followed not to far behind, with Honda already staring at the sight before them. ' _Where on the island are we,_ ' Bakura was asking from behind, the rest of the group following Katsuya's gaze in the meantime.

 

Anzu turned to him, expression caught somewhere between relief and shock. "Look for yourself," she managed to say, the last of the group turning to look at the immense castle before them. Compared to the early morning view the sight of Pegasus' castle was fairly impressive, towering above them in an almost intimidating position. Though they couldn't get to the base of the stairs from where they were, it was still right there. A convenient move, putting the path out of the labyrinth right at their goal. Staring at the castle, the group fell somewhat silent. After all this...

 

Their goal was literally right in front of them. No tricks, no catches. It was right there, ready for them to take on. And yet as they watched the setting sun there was still the silent question of whether or not four other people had already made it or not. If they had... What did that mean for Mokuba, or Yugi's grandpa? Or even Seto-chan herself, Katsuya wondered with a frown. In the end Bakura was once more the one to break the silence, though likely unintentionally at first.

 

"I wonder," he asked, eyes appearing fairly distant at the moment, "Do you think any other duelists have reached Pegasus' castle already.."

 

"Well," Anzu said with a frown, addressing the topic that was effectively gnawing at everyone's thoughts for the moment. "There's Kaiba but... He isn't really in the tournament." The woman's frown

deepened, and she turned back from Bakura to face the castle again. The sun was creating a complete glare from behind it, giving the castle the appearance of an enormous shadow above them. "I wonder if they let him in..." At those words, Katsuya as well found himself growing a little cold, looking at the castle in the distance with narrowed eyes. That was a good question...

 

A shiver ran down his spine, and he continued to squint into the glare of the sun. Why was it that he felt off again... Was there someone up there, at the entrance to the castle? He couldn't tell- not in this light, that was for sure. "Who knows," he found himself muttering, before the group began heading for the stairs. As he gave one last look at the palace in the distance, he turned to catch up with the others.

 

_'I hope so...'_

 

* * *

 

_Fourteen Hours Prior, 2:40 AM_

 

What were her options, she pondered in the split second before Crocketts dared to ask her that question. The first one was the least likely; pick the padlock by jamming all ten of the chip slots at once. Time would need to be on her side for that option however, and she did not have that luxury. The padlock was keyed to open only with ten 'starchips', ten tiny, golden pieces of cheap metal that were being passed around the island like candy. And given Pegasus' general behaviours, somehow that wasn't surprising.

 

Nonetheless it was the only key, so she supposed she could find one of the people Pegasus hired to gather those and take ten from them. And if they decided that it had to be 'in a duel' she had thought with a mental snort, she could simply test her duel disk further. Her mind however was made up rather quickly when Crocketts opened his mouth again, her actions decided not by logic but by a furious rage that was aided by her exhaustion and hunger both. "Please," he said with that sly, crocodile's grin, a low growl building in the back of her throat. "Come this way... We have a room prepared for you in the annex." He dared...

 

The growl grew louder, but not so loud that her soon injured victim could hear. He dared... The reaction, regardless of the two guards who had come in to check on things from outside being present, was fairly instantaneous. With one swift motion her right arm moved forward, briefcase little more than dead-weight and a blunt weapon. A loud crack came through the air as she swung the case into the Crockett's unprotected skull, eyes wide with anger.

 

" _ARE YOU JOKING,_ " she roared, quickly dumping the briefcase on the ground as shouts came from the guards. Sounds of guns being drawn and hurried footsteps faded into the background and the woman continued her assault even as logic pounded the back of her mind. Now hold on... She could use this to her advantage. It only took an instant after all. And in that instant, between the time it took for Crockett's cracked and destroyed sunglasses to hit the ground she'd already grabbed the man by his suit jacket. By the time Saruwatari had a gun to her head...

 

She had a gun pressed firmly against Crockett's skull, the elderly man's eyes and mouth wide in a silent and shuddering horror. "Kaiba," Saruwatari hissed, teeth grinding as the woman smirked. The upper hand was hers. If she couldn't get to Pegasus herself, she would make him come to her. "You..."

 

"Saruwatari, isn't it?" she asked, tone flooded with contempt. This scum... She'd hired him to protect her brother and instead he'd done the reverse. Even a dog had done a better job than he did!

"Hnhnhnhnhn..." The woman chuckled as Saruwatari stared at her, the man visibly tensing at the reaction she was having to the gun in his hands. "It's because of KaibaCorp's special employee training that you even know how to hold a weapon you know..." As Saruwatari swallowed her smirk grew, and she continued. "Did you ever finish the course? Watch," she stated, smirk dropping to a narrowed glare as she turned her attentions to her captive. Best to make the situation very clear as fast as possible after all... The safety was clicked off the gun, and as Crockett's eyes widened even further in terror she continued. "I'll teach you how to fire a gun right now..." No response...

 

Her eyes turned back to her hostage, cold and almost blank as they looked down. Really, such a pity... Oh well. If she had to deal with one of Pegasus' men then it would make the situation all that more obvious to her real target, wouldn't it? She squeezed the trigger slightly, the shuddering breaths of her captive increasing in volume as she stared. 5 seconds until fire... Sweat was visibly dripping off the man's face, and she wouldn't doubt it if he'd pissed himself in fear. Four... Saruwatari still wasn't responding, he would be next then she supposed. And he did likely have a radio on him...

 

Three...

 

"Y-Y .. S-STOP! STOP, SARUWATARI," Crocketts cried, tears running down his face to mix with the blood already pouring from his head wound. "P...Put your gun down! PUT IT DOWN! Can't you see his eyes he's serious!" Two seconds...

 

Saruwatari scowled, and as the sound of clattering met her ears she lessened her pull on the trigger. The gun had been dropped...

 

Good."Hn!" She glanced at the weapon on the ground, her own not moving from Crockett's face. Very good... "Glad that you have at least a portion of a brain," she stated, narrowed eyes turning back on her captive once more. "..As for you," the woman continued, "You'll be my hostage until I see Pegasus." She dropped the man to the ground, watching him shrink under the 'stare' of the gun. Pathetic... She turned her attention back to Saruwatari, the sudden glare causing him to freeze on the spot. "Carry my duralumin case to the guest room," she ordered, the man in question holding his hands in the air and nodding nervously. The threat she would give need not be said aloud, and her target knew that all too well.

 

"Alright," he muttered, visibly swallowing under the pressure. As the man moved around the woman to grab the briefcase off the ground, he continued. "Just... Just don't do anything too hasty alright..?" She sneered, eyes narrowing further at the comment.

 

"Hasty," she repeated incredulously, aim never shifting as Saruwatari picked up the case and moved in front of her. The word couldn't possibly describe the situation. "Don't push your 'luck'... And you!" she shouted, leering at Crockett's bleeding form on the ground. Crockett's head had been cut rather messily by the glass of the sunglasses he'd had, as well as the side of her briefcase it seemed, but given that he had the time to hold it and whine he was obviously not beyond 'use' for the moment. "Get up," the woman demanded, her target nodding furiously in response before scrambling to his feet with his hands in the air. As her two 'hostages' held their stance before her, Seto moved to take a more advantageous stance, grabbing the second gun and pocketing it as she did so. "Now then," she continued, both men swallowing in response. "You said you 'prepared' a room for me? Why don't you lead the way then?"

 

Another nervous swallow, and with frightened mutterings from Crocketts she was led off down the door to the left. Door being the 'loose' term of course. The east and west wings of the castle were divided by tunnels closed off with a gate. It was inside these tunnels that the entrance to the wings themselves were found, and regardless of hurried shouts from the second guard behind her she kept

her eyes on Saruwatari and Crocketts; the guards would not move fast enough to save their 'comrades' if she were to be attacked after all... That was the point of the hostage. A few keys were being pushed into a code box, numbers pushed including 2, 5... More 2s, 8... 7 and 9. Seto narrowed her eyes as the door clicked open, logging the numbers in the back of her mind. She could figure out what the full code was later. As the door was pushed open by Saruwatari, the woman watched as her hostages led her inside, door closing tightly behind them. Once inside the hall she was met with a bright light from the simple lamps on the side, portraits of various western themes hanging on the wall. Numerous vases could be seen lining the sides, filled with a wide assortment of flowers but she paid them no mind as they were taken to the room. The door was closed of course...

 

But that would be fixed. "Now then... Open the door," she stated 'calmly', leveling a stare to the taller of her captives. With a nervous nod, Saruwatari did as ordered, pushing the door wide open with his free hand. "And get inside..." For a moment, it looked as though the man was going to say something. Perhaps even attempt to fight. Thankfully for both Saruwatari and her own patience however, he did not. "Good..." She crossed one arm continuing to hold her aim as the wide open door gave her complete view of the room. Both Crocketts and Saruwatari currently stood before her, the latter holding the case with a tight and worried grip. "Next," she stated coldly, eyes narrowed to mere slits by this point, "You are going to open the case and carefully place each deck to the side..." The two in front of her stared, as though questioning what she was about to do. She didn't move, instead continuing her gaze- two seconds was all it took before the men before her stooped down to get to work. "And by the way," she added, grip on the weapon almost tightening as she spoke. "Don't get any blood on the cards... Or I'll make sure you clean each and every one before you die..." The silence in the room spoke for itself after that, though there was a scramble as Crocketts covered his bloodied hands with his sleeves for fear of his life.

 

Dully, Seto watched as each deck was carefully lifted from the briefcase and carried to the side, on a desk in the center of the room. Not a single word was passed... What words did the damned have for their judge after all? Nonetheless, she would not be killing anyone... Yet. No reason to after all. Give her a reason to believe they had done harm to her brother however and heads would roll in seas of blood, hostages the first to go. Staring into the room as the last deck was moved to the side, she took a quick glance to both ends of the hall. Being approached by backup was the last thing on her mind after all... Good... No one was there. This spoke wonders for Pegasus' staff really. She walked forward, keeping her back to the wall at all times once she had entered the room. The door was shut behind her as she walked, her captives merely staring whilst she made her way around. "Remove the duel disks as well," she commanded, gun steadily pointed toward the men at all times. "And be careful with them... Each one is worth more than both of your lives combined." Again Saruwatari grit his teeth as though about to say something, but the gun once more convinced him otherwise. The security guard quickly undid the latches in place on the devices, and as the two were removed and placed to the side with the cards Seto nodded. "Now... I'm going to repeat what I asked when I first came here, understand?" Her already disguised voice grew dangerously low as she continued, now the opposite end of the room and pulling a chair back for herself. "Get me Pegasus," she growled, "And tell him that Seto Kaiba will speak with him!" As Saruwatari hesitantly walked backwards to the door, Seto looked down at Crocketts and smirked. "As for you... Get down on your knees..."

 

And within the next few minutes, her hostage and former 'employee' both realized just how dead serious she was about her goals.

 

* * *

 

Pegasus it seemed, did not intend to take her seriously. Thirteen hours and counting, and still she was waiting. Seto sat impatiently in her seat, legs crossed as her foot tapped against the lid of her open briefcase. The table so far was mostly unchanged. An empty glass of water from around noon, which she had long since made clear was free of poison (one couldn't be to careful...), but aside from that there was nothing. In her right hand, as it had been for the last number of hours she'd managed to stay awake somehow, was the gun she'd had trained on the door for that same amount of time. In her left...

 

Nothing, and as it gripped the side of the chair she could hear panicked and angered shouts from outside. " _Is Mr. Crocketts alright?_ " came Saruwatari's voice in English, footsteps thundering down the hall as he ran. The guard she'd been holding at bay with her weapon shook his head, instead motioning toward the door. Even from inside the room, she could tell the man was nervous... Then again, most people were when there was a 'man' holding a gun to them as they kept another one's head viced between a briefcase. " _We don't know his status at the moment,_ " he was responding in the same language that had been drilled into her skulls those years ago. Handy... They were likely moronic enough to assume she didn't know, though Saruwatari should know better... " _He's still being held hostage in the guest room!_ " She smirked darkly, before dropping it at the feeble ' _h..help..._ ' coming from the briefcase. Tch...

 

Couldn't he keep quiet for even a moment? A light push against the case silenced the man swiftly, and as a small bit of hair was spotted around the side of the door frame Saruwatari's voice came into the room. "Kaiba," he shouted, obviously re-armed by this point. Not that it would do him good... "Let him go! We've already told you all we can!" Lies, of course. Nonetheless.

 

The woman scowled before responding, eyes narrowed in rage. "Then bring me Pegasus," she demanded, the guards outside of the room tensing at her tone. Her left hand gripped the chair tighter as she spoke, nails almost digging into the sides. "And be sure to tell him that if he keep me waiting any longer, I'll snap his so-called advisor's neck!" Muttering continued from outside, and her scowl deepened. Not for the conversation... More for the content. ' _did you inform mister Pegasus,_ ' they were asking, Saruwatari nodding his head in response. ' _yes_ ,' he responded to them, Seto's expression shifting to suspicion rather than rage momentarily. Oh? They had had they? ' _But he said to wait until the time was right..._ ' Tch! Suspicion was once more replaced with anger, and the woman grit her teeth as her head pounded. The proper 'time' was well over twelve hours ago, and until then she would not rest for anything! She ignored her fatigued form, forcing her voice to hold out to a confident shout once more as the guards outside turned to the room again. "I know you cowards have taken Mokuba prisoner," she stated, watching as the guards tensed once more. "Are you still going to deny it, even with a life at

stake..?"

 

As she said this the woman looked down at Crockett's miserable form, the man having somehow survived the likely concussion he sustained the night before. At least he'd had the sense to keep his bleeding wound pointed upwards rather than toward the case... "I... I don't know," he whined, unable to move or shake his head. Hn. She hadn't been asking him... "I don't know! I'm telling you the truth!" Bullshit. She smirked darkly, knowing full well that there was more; she hadn't been forced into months of classwork on the subject of business to fail when it came to reading a man's voice and actions. It was important in business and it was important here. It was clear...

 

Crocketts was lying through his bloodstained and chattering teeth. "I had you remove my things from this briefcase for a reason you know," Seto began with an again lower than 'normal' tone. A thick silence came over the room with those words, and her dark and possibly crazed smirk grew. "If you insist on continuing with this deception, your blood will be more than easy to wash off the duralumin sides... I'll already be taking it in to be cleaned as is," she continued, the smirk widening slightly as Crocketts gave a jerking and involuntary shudder. "The inside isn't much more when compared to the outside after all..." The woman turned her gaze back to the door again, eyes narrowed as her smirk dropped. "Twenty minutes," she called out, releasing her grip on the chair. "And if I have no news by then, of either Pegasus or my brother's whereabouts... I will close this case." And with those words all but one of the guards scurried out of sight, Seto turning her narrowed glare back to the case before her. Pegasus... Just how long would this scum keep her waiting even now...

 

* * *

 

What Seto Kaiba did not know at the moment wasn't much. Rather, there was little she didn't know in terms of 'what mattered' for now. What she didn't know was something that likely would have incensed the woman even more about things so it was probably best she was left unaware for the time.

 

At the moment, Pegasus was seated calmly at his desk, laptop screen black as he awaited a call from one of his staff. The man looked at a clock on the side of the desk sighing. "My my... At this rate I'm going to have to injure another of my prized guests..." He sighed, shaking his head to no one in particular as he ran over the events of the early morning. It had already been terrible enough to be woken up so early, but to think that Seto Kaiba had taken his assistant hostage in that time...

 

Dreadful! If he... Rather she, the man added with a humored smile, continued with this then orders to fire might have to be taken. And Saruwatari could certainly get her knee before the leg was dropped. Pegasus gave another sigh, before looking to the side of the room. There was a second screen there, giving him yet another stream of live feed from a scene that had been set up moments after his assistant was taken hostage. A feed crafted from a plan that he'd conceived moments after hearing the news that his employee's 'helicopter' plan had, unfortunately, failed horribly. He would have to send his condolences to Okami and Johnson's families both...

 

Nonetheless he thought as he ran over that hastily crafted plan, he took a sip of wine from the glass currently held in his hand. It was one thing after all, for 'Kaiba-dear' as he was humorously referring to the woman as for now, to know they had Mokuba. It would be a whole other thing if they spoiled the surprise of holding the boy's soul hostage however! And that just wouldn't do.

 

So for now, the screen had a motionless and chained form seated limply in a stone cell, head bowed. He'd even put matters in place to make it seem as though the boy was fine so to speak~! So long as the guard kept out of sight, his commands would be responded to in full... And the camera feed from the dungeons 'had' no audio after all. Pegasus idly took another sip of his wine, before replacing the glass on its coaster. Really...

 

How much longer would he be kept waiting... Injuring someone physically was something he never enjoyed doing. Let their minds come up with their punishment, while their bodies remained intact... He would much rather not have to go against that particular policy.

 

_-bzzz.-_ He blinked as the screen began to 'buzz', leaning forward on his chair. _-bzzzzz.-_ "Ahhh!" He smiled, clicking the button on his laptop as a member of the security came into view on the screen. "At last... What news do you have?" he asked, grabbing his wine glass once more and listening intently.

 

" _Mr. Pegasus,_ " the guard began, using the language that the CEO in question grew up with rather than that of Japanese. " _We've received a report from the player killers Delusion and Deceit._ " Pegasus blinked, recognizing the 'code names' for Mei and Kyuu both; the Meikyuu brothers had actually encountered someone and lost then? Interesting... And even if they lost, they would have only bothered to make contact if they had either been outsmarted in their riddle or... " _The competitors Katsuya Jonouchi and Yugi Muto have successfully collected 10 starchips, and are now headed toward the castle as we speak._ " He brightened instantly deciding against finishing his wine for the moment. Yes! Brilliant!

 

"Ah! This is incredible!" he cheered, his smile widening. "I was waiting for this moment," the man continued with a sigh, the guard on the screen looking as though he didn't quite know how to respond. "Attaboy, Yugi~ I knew you could do it," he cheerily muttered to himself, slipping back into Japanese out of some odd and unknown habit. The man's expression grew slightly more serious in that instant however, and he turned his attention back to the guard. "You are dismissed," he stated calmly, watching as the screen faded to black before replacing the smile on his face. "Haaahhh... But my my," he continued, hands folded in his lap as he pretended to speak to his awaited guest. "The road to my castle may be longer and harder than you think... And I'm not quite ready to end this game... Hnhnhnhnhn..." Pegasus turned his attentions to the laptop, smile turning into a fairly twisted smirk as he laughed. "Now, let me see," he began, eye narrowing with anticipation. "I had another guest waiting didn't I?" With a small 'click' he activated a second web-cam screen, the portrait in his 'guest quarters' clearing into a view of Seto Kaiba's right side. "Hello there," he began, watching as the woman turned with a jolt. Ahh...

 

And just within range too.

 

" _My 'dear' Kaiba~_ "

 

* * *

 

The moment she heard the sound of static, she'd turned toward the only possible source. There were no windows in the room, no slats in the ceiling to reveal a hidden screen. And painted screens would have been to obvious. To the side however, a lonely portrait caught her gaze. There...

 

As much as Pegasus was a fan of painting, she had a feeling that the simple portrait of Mount Fuji was out of place given the western theme of the building... As the screen cracked to reveal Pegasus' pale white image she grit her teeth, left hand digging into the chair once more. ' _Hello there,'_ the man began with a cruel smirk across his face, ' _My dear Kaiba...'_ Dear? And what happened to 'boy'? Tch!

 

Ignoring any and all possible room for thought lest they be gleaned from her mind, she opted to go straight to the point. "Pegasus," she growled, attention only briefly caught by Crocketts feeble ' _M-Mr. Pegasus_ ' from below. Eyes narrowed further in annoyance, and a quick 'tap' to the briefcase elicited a pained shout from the man before he fell silent once more. On the screen however, her former 'business partner' merely shook his head in response.

 

"Tsk tsk tsk... Oh my 'dear' Kaiba," he began, the woman idly noting that he'd again dropped the boy and added 'dear'. "You disappoint me so much," the man continued, shaking his head once more. Of course she did... Did she care? "Where did you learn your 'manners'," he asked with a sigh, an expression of faux worry on his face. "Is this how you always act in another person's home?" She growled, gritting her teeth once more as her right hand threatened to fire off the gun right there from its tenseness. No time for this...

 

She had no time for jokes! "Pegasus," she grit out, narrowing her eyes as her attention turned to the screen completely. "I know that you attempted to complete a take over of my company... Had that been all, I would have dealt with this through a proper 'meeting'. But I also know you abducted my little brother!" she shouted, her target's amused expression only serving to agitate her further. This man... This scum of a man, and he dared to smile and taunt her even now! "GIVE HIM BACK, NOW!"

 

The man chuckled, shaking his head. "My my..." Briefly, he appeared to ponder saying something... Instead however, he chuckled again. "Very well," he stated, waving his hand dismissively. "Under one condition!" Seto continued to grind her teeth, before her bleeding and bitten tongue reminded her to speak.

 

"What is it?" the woman asked, angrily tapping the briefcase yet again as Crocketts pitiful moans threatened to fill the air. One condition, whatever it would be...

 

"You should know," Pegasus stated with a wicked smirk, fondling his undone tie at the moment. Odd... Not like Pegasus to have something 'out of place'... "After all," he continued, as Seto's eyes widened with the man's next words. "How is it said in your country? Oh right..." The smirk grew, eye narrowed in mirth as he gripped both ends of the tie in his hands. "You could say that you and he are tied together by a single string... Tied into a knot and pulled tightly against the other, each end shares the same fate..." The man chuckled as he did the string around his neck up in a tight knot, Seto's expression of rage and shock increasing as he went on. "Bound together, each one strains pointlessly against the other... The time has come 'my dear'," he said with a laugh, the tie now neatly done up in a bow around his neck. "For Altair and Vega to intersect..." The woman stared, eyes widening briefly before she narrowed them with a growl.

 

"You..." Those were the names of two stars, but in addition to that they were the counterparts of an old story she'd once told her brother years before. Before Gozaburo, before all of this... The silver river, a tale that she had absolutely nothing to do with save one small and blatant fact. She clenched her jaw, pushing the comparison to the back of her mind. He knew... He _knew_... Which meant that if she was being compared to one, than the other would have to be... Her eyes remained as narrowed as before, the woman refusing to reveal her shock to everyone present. Pegasus was bad enough... The others however... "You don't mean.." He couldn't mean him. Hell, how could he even _DARE_ to imply such things! And yet, she noted as the man spoke again, he had once more dropped 'boy' and replaced it with 'dear'.

 

"That's right 'Kaiba-dear'," Pegasus stated with a chuckle. Crocketts and the security outside the door were both too distracted to catch the underlying meaning of the name, instead focused on the 'hostage' part of the situation. Hell, they'd need a decently processing brain to even consider what 'dear' implied, but all the same... "There is only one way for you to get Mokuba back," the man continued with a narrowed eye, hands folded in front of him now that his 'work' was done. "You must defeat Yugi!"

 

Her teeth ground further, growl caught in her throat as she glared. "And what makes you think you're in any position to decide that?" she said with a snarl, a tap to the briefcase before her bringing Pegasus' attention to her hostage. As Crocketts jerked slightly against the pressure on his neck, the man's boss seemed to have no reaction to the act at all. "You might have finally bothered to call Pegasus, but I don't intend to simply bow to your whims when I could be leaving with my brother!"

 

Again Pegasus chuckled, shaking his head. "Really my dear..." There was the sound of a click, and abruptly the image fizzed and cracked to reveal another room. What... "When you see this image from my surveillance cameras, you'll know you don't have a choice..." Surveillance... It was black and white, hardly a decent quality image. Most security cameras were as such however, given the constant run-time. All the same however even from the position of the camera she could see him. Through iron bars and dark stone surroundings, she could see him. Both arms were shackled to the walls, and the moment she saw his beaten form slumped in the cell room she tensed.

 

"Mokuba!" She leaned forward in her seat, watching as the boy lifted something from under his shirt. White shirt...

 

Where did he get those clothes, she didn't remember...

 

Those weren't... "Mokuba!" she shouted, watching as her little brother fingered a locket shaped like a card. That locket, it looked just like...

 

She could remember a voice... _'Nee-sama,_ ' he had said, Seto momentarily vanishing into thought as she watched the reel, watched her brother continue to slump forward over the locket he held. ' _I wish you could have been with us this summer, with Katsuya-nii and Shizuka-chan... But you still can't move,_ ' he had said. She didn't care that the 'mutt's name had come up again, that she didn't know who 'Shizuka' was. When had he said this... When... ' _You can't talk... But don't worry about anything,_ ' the boy had continued, his sister presently watching in silence as the boy slumped back against the wall. When had he said this..? Why did he think... ' _Your company will be safe with me and Katsuya-nii, so you don't need to get all stressed out anymore! When you come back, I... All of us, we'll be waiting._ ' Waiting..? Crocketts had gotten out of the briefcase, her feet having moved when she'd seen Mokuba on the screen. Her weapon had lowered, and across the room Saruwatari was hesitantly moving to Crocketts side. And as she continued to watch, the elderly man was hurriedly rushed out to the others, likely to be taken to a doctor on-site. She didn't care anymore...

 

Lost in thought, she didn't care as she stared at her brother's worn body, the boy still cradling the pendant as though it were his last treasure.

 

' _That Yugi guy at Death-T said that you'll come back when you solve 'the puzzle of your heart','_ Mokuba was saying all those months ago, voice reverberating around her skull. ' _So I took this picture of us together, and made it into a pendant. Nee-sama_ ,' the boy had stated, tone low and serious. Saruwatari was returning, slowly and hesitantly with his weapon at the ready. Her own weapon was now pointed to the ground, her eyes wide as they stared at the screen before her. She still didn't care. ' _Even with all the money in the world, this will be my most valuable treasure. No amount of money will take it away... I'm giving you the other half,_ ' he said, and at the time she could recall feeling something around her neck and down her shirt. ' _I'm putting it around your neck nee-sama... As long as you have that, I know you'll come back. That's what I'm wishing for after all, that's what everyone is wishing for... Complete the puzzle of your heart..._ '

 

"Mokuba," she forced out with a quietly strained and somehow still hidden tone as the camera feed clicked off and switched back to Pegasus.

 

' _This is the final piece..._ '

 

"Gn..."

 

The gun clattered to the ground as she bowed her head, the locket around her neck hanging limply as her now free right hand moved to clutch it tight.

 

_Mokuba Mokuba Mokuba_... All these things that happened...

 

"Gk..." All these things that were still happening...

 

"Saruwatari," Pegasus was stating calmly, Seto only vaguely aware of the sound. "Give dear Kaiba those things we were talking about..."

 

The guard gave a stern nod, and without looking up she knew he was now standing in front of her. "Kaiba," the man stated, his target merely sitting in silence. "Take these... They're five starchips that Mokuba stole and hid in his pockets." Stole..? Why would Mokuba steal, he didn't need... Saruwatari's chuckling brought her back to reality as the chips landed on the ground before her, gleaming in the light of the room with a dull sheen. Starchips... The 'keys'... "Your little brother really looks up to you... Hnhnhnhn..." Gh...

 

Seto grit her teeth, slowly looking up as Pegasus' voice came through the room again. "Wager those starchips and battle Yugi," the man was 'commanding', Seto releasing her hold on the locket to clench her fists tightly. "If you win, I'll let you into the castle... Where Mokuba is." And of course, he didn't say 'I'll give you Mokuba'... Fists tightened even more, the scabbing lines her nails fit into opening once again.

 

"Pegasus," she grit out, standing from her chair. Saruwatari had long since fled the room, leaving her 'alone' so to speak, leaving her to whatever actions she would take next. "Don't forget that the 'tie of fate' you speak of is wrapped around your neck!" With those words her target merely chuckled once more, and in a flicker of light the screen was replaced with the image of Mount Fuji again. Silence.

 

Alone in the room she was now met with silence. She lowered her gaze to where the starchips sat, staring numbly at her briefcase on the ground. Only a few drops of blood there... Grabbing a kleenex from a box on the table, she wiped it off with a blank expression. So she had to face Yugi in order to get her brother back... Her eyes narrowed as the blood was wiped up, and dropping the kleenex to the side she grabbed the starchips to pocket them with her 'true' deck. "It seems we really are tied by the thread of destiny," she muttered under her breath, moving to re-pack the briefcase with a disgusted expression on her face. "Try to cut it, but it cannot be broken... Entangling us both." Her expression darkened, and as she stacked the last of her decks in the case she slammed the lid shut with an echoing 'click'. This battle...

 

She did not want to fight a battle with strings attached!

 

And yet she had no choice... She couldn't see half the hall on the video camera after all; how was she to know if they had a gun to her brother's face or not as well? Seto grit her teeth, grabbing one of her dueldisks and clicking it into place on her wrist. Regardless, she decided as she grabbed her things to leave the room. She would not lose... She could not lose! As she walked out and down the hall her coat whipped around her, sudden movement bringing the sides up against the walls as she walked. The suitcase was gripped tightly in one hand, second duel disk in the other and she deliberately ignored the small bit of blood that would likely stain both devices from her cut palms. Forced herself to ignore the sleep she refused to have, the pain her empty stomach was giving in retaliation to the nearly two-day long 'fast' she'd taken. It would likely last two days in the end, but she didn't care... Not any more. She just wanted... Needed...

 

Had to get him back...

 

The guards posted at the doors payed her no mind as she walked past them, a glare set almost permanently on her face. Out of the hall and into the courtyard, out of the courtyard and on to the large open 'walk way' of the castle gates. Defeat Yugi...

 

Those were Pegasus' demands, she told herself as she looked down the staircase. But why would Pegasus wait so long to tell her this? It was growing late... Awake for over 24 hours, having eaten nothing during that time... The glass of water was doing nothing to aid her strength, and she'd only taken it to ensure her voice didn't give out half-way through speaking. The woman scowled as her vision threatened to blur, tightening her fists as she threw off the drowsiness. She had no time for these things, no time for weaknesses... She could guess why Pegasus had waited this long- he wanted to make sure that Yugi would actually come, that he hadn't managed to lose to some third-rate duelist elsewhere! And though it took longer than she would expect, he did not fail to prove her own and Pegasus' suspicions right. Why should he after all, when he had beaten her as well? In the distance, far beyond the bottom of the staircase she could see a cluster of shadowed figures in the dying sun. Most seemed relatively normal of course, but there was one that was by far unique in itself...

 

No one else had hair that completely ridiculous after all. (How did anyone have hair shaped like that, honestly..)

 

Seto placed her briefcase at the side of the stairs, crossing her arms and forced her eyes to remain open. If Pegasus wanted a duel he would get one... And she would win, for her brother's sake. No matter what... Any fear she might have of loss was intolerable, any hesitation unthinkable! As the group below hesitated at the bottom of the stairs, she narrowed her eyes. She would fight... And she would win.

 

No matter what the cost may be.

 

* * *

 

The path around the castle was a short one to tell the truth. As short as it was however Katsuya couldn't help but get a nagging feeling that something was happening. Or about to happen. Or something along those lines at least. And as it turned out when they arrived at the castle steps in silence, there was.

 

"There it is," Katsuya muttered, staring up path. "Pegasus' castle..."

 

"Right..." As his friend said this, the blond turned to look at Yugi with a blank and possibly worried stare. "After all this," Yugi was saying, staring ahead. "It'll be over..." Got that right...

 

Katsuya turned forward again, moving toward the winding stair case. It was probably as long as the path from the maze exit to that point- walking forward as Bakura and Honda joined him, he had to stare with wide eyes. "Man," he muttered under his breath, scratching his head. "Somehow I don't r'member walking this much when we were brought here last time..."

 

At the side, Bakura nodded, blinking. "I think we were taken to a separate entrance last time," he said quietly, the teen's arms wrapped around his chest for the moment. "The sun is facing a different direction than it would have last time..." In response to that Honda and Katsuya both stared, pausing in their trek up the stairs. Looking at the clearly bewildered expressions, their friend coughed and explained. "If it was the same time on the first day," he began, arms still firmly in place around his middle, "Then the sun would be setting in the opposite direction. Oh.

 

Ohhhhhh... Katsuya nodded, before looking back down the stairs. "Eh?" He blinked, looking near the bottom where Anzu and Yugi were talking. Why were they still down there...

 

Honda and Bakura as well turned, also blinking. "Weird," Honda muttered, adjusting his hold on his bag. "What's taking them?" The blond shrugged, before cupping his hands to 'address' the issue.

 

"OI," he shouted, the two far below turning at the sound. "What's taking so long!"

 

Beside him Honda nodded before joining in. "YEAH," he called down, watching as Yugi and Anzu merely stared upward through the sun's glare. "You take much longer we'll leave without you!"

 

"Honda-kun," Bakura muttered with a frown. "What point would there be for us to go ahead if we aren't dueling..?" While Honda rubbed his head muttering ' _eh... right_!', Katsuya continued to look down the stairs at the others. Still not moving...

 

He decided to give another shout, the other two beside him jumping in response. "OIIIII! Yugi, Anzu!" As the two down the stairs turned again, begining to move, he grinned. "What's takin' yah, Hurry up!" As Yugi and Anzu both came up the stairs, he noted a few things. One was that it was the 'Other Yugi'... And his face looked a little scratched up.

 

The other was that Anzu looked a little less than pleased. "Honestly," she said with a scowl, glaring at the taller three with narrowed eyes. "Yugi tripped over one of the steps trying to catch up with you morons, try thinking before you shout!"

 

At this, Katsuya merely winced, watching the other Yugi give a shrug- well, obviously he wasn't any part of this... "Er... Right..." He coughed, before turning back to the stairs. Now that the sun was a little less obvious behind the castle, it was easier to see the top of the staircase really. Briefly he wondered why Yugi had switched out again... Though now that he thought about it, it most likely it had to do with the 'coming battle'.

 

As they looked forward the group paused, Yugi frowning slightly. "...Somebody's there," he muttered, the setting sun glaring into their eyes.

 

Following the boy's gaze as the sun dipped behind the castle, he frowned. "Yer right..." Hard to make out of course, what with 'less glare' being far from 'no glare' but... Still, Yugi had eagle eyes or something, they were only about a third up the staircase. "But wh-" Katsuya froze, eyes wide as the sun sank further and allowed his vision to clear the sight before him. "Set- Kaiba," he shouted, the others somehow missing the slip up with the mere presence of the woman. "But what the hell is sh... Is he doing there? He's blocking th' door!" Really blocking it too; these staircases were fairly narrow at the top from what he could tell.

 

Anzu frowned worriedly, hands gripping the large bag she'd been given by Mai the night before. "You don't think..." She swallowed, staring up at the castle and Kaiba both with hesitancy. "You don't think he might be working with Pegasus do you..?" Ahahahha NO.

 

At this, Honda shook his head, interrupting what would have been a rather loud shout of disagreement from Katsuya. "No," he muttered, eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms. "He might be an asshole, but he said pretty damn clearly that he hated Pegasus as much as we did..." As Katsuya nodded in agreement to this, he continued. "No... If he's working with Pegasus, you can bet it's because Mokuba's being used as leverage against him." Hostage...

 

As those words the group fell into a rather chilled silence. Mokuba... The thought that he would possibly be used as more than just a hostage to reel them in was alarming in itself, but at the same time who expected Seto Kaiba to suddenly 'come back from the dead'? From above it seemed as though the woman was leering at them all, almost daring them to say a word against her. _'I'm not moving_ ,' she seemed to be saying, arms crossed as she stood before them. In the end nothing was said however, and Yugi began to move forward in apparent confidence.

 

"Regardless of why he is there," the boy stated, making his way up the stairs with a blank expression in place, "We have no reason to simply wait here- lets go." At this the others merely nodded, walking slowly up the stairs to find Seto still blocking the path with a glare in place. Katsuya stood beside Yugi as they came up to the woman, his own expression a mix of neutrality and worry. Why was she here... More over, had she gotten any sleep? She looked exhausted...

 

The woman merely stared at them both for a few minutes, before Katsuya decided to speak. "Oi, Se... Kaiba," he asked, the woman barely giving him a glance in response. Damn she looked pale right now... He mentally shook it off, frowning as he continued. "...Y' think you could move? Yer blocking th' way..."

 

For a moment, she merely gave him a look that said ' _You think?_ ', before shifting it back into her glare. "I'm not moving," she stated rather bluntly, turning her attention to Yugi. The boy in question also narrowed his eyes before speaking, hands held steadily at his sides.

 

"Kaiba," he stated with a fairly steady and demanding expression in place. "Let us past." Er... Alright, guess asking was probably outta the question... That was about as blunt as what Seto herself had said. At these words, it seemed that Seto chose to abandon whatever else she had planned on saying to Katsuya (There was obviously something...), instead lessening her glare slightly.

 

"Yugi," she began, Katsuya noting that she seemed to shake just slightly as she spoke, "I knew you would defeat your opponents on this island, no matter how strong..." What was she talking about? The blond frowned as he listened, Yugi's own gaze becoming slightly narrowed with the woman's words. Seriously... What... "That's the reason why I left you to earn those ten starchips... After all," she continued, eyes appearing slightly less 'fogged' than they had been initially (Seriously, was she alright?). "There's only one person in this world that can beat you... And that person is me!"

 

Katsuya blinked. "Hey! Is... Is this really the time t'-" he frowned as Yugi silently cut him off with his arm and a look. "...Yugi..." Alright... He'd let her finish...

 

Given that she was apparently still talking. "I realized my fate on this island," Seto continued, eyes narrowing slightly. Fate? "Yugi... As long as we're alive, one of us will always be a thorn in the other's side!"

 

Wait what! "Kaiba," Yugi growled, eyes narrowing further. What the hell...

 

What the hell, was she really taking this fucking stupid grudge here? Really? When she looked dead on her feet and her brother was... He as well growled, though he supposed it was a show of good self-control that he didn't have Honda or Bakura pulling him back at the moment. "Gh... You gotta be kiddin' me," he bit out, the woman turning to him with a slightly raised eyebrow. "You're seriously goin' on about that?" At the silent stare he received in response, the blond seethed, pointing toward the castle. Alright... Screw any theories they'd had on the castle, and screw any crushes he had! ...For now. "Your brother is in there," he roared, eyes wide. The woman had come all this way, not even waiting to get some rest before showing up... Possibly not getting any rest since the last time they saw her... Why the hell would she bring up the thing that got her comatose in the first place! If she could do something why wasn't she doing it! "So where th' hell do you come off just standin' here!" Seto narrowed her eyes, apparently ignoring the blond. Instead, he noted, the eyes had been drawn toward his outstretched right hand.

 

"Hnn," she muttered, the blond still red in the face. "You as well..." Him as- The starchips... Of course. For a brief, split second moment the smirk on Seto's face seemed more like a smile than a 'joke'. More 'good' than 'well good for you'. In the end however, it widened and became more reminiscent of past 'arguments'. "Tch! It seems I underestimated you mutt," she stated with a seemingly insulting grin. "I hereby promote you from a losing dog to nameless stray."

 

"Nameless... WHAT?" The blond's already red complexion grew dangerously dark, and as he shook he found himself unable to speak. What the hell... Regardless of expecting the insults, why was she blocking their way now? She had no reason for it! Hell, if she was able to do as much as Mokuba bragged, she could probably have just killed Pegasus by now! ...Well, maybe not kill Pegasus given the eye thing but...

 

Even if Honda was right, even if this was her being put up to it... His anger slowly faded at that thought, and he found himself staring rather than shouting again. ...Maybe...

 

That was why... As the blond fell silent, thoughts of what Pegasus could have already done to Mokuba in mind once more, Seto's grin shrank into a smirk again. "Hnhnhnhnhn... One could almost call this a miracle," she was muttering, only serving to once again agitate the blond before her. Dogs, losers, 'nameless strays', what was with these insults?

 

He grit his teeth, eyes narrowed. "Gh... S...Kaiba," he forced out, attempting and failing to calm down. Calm down... Calm down... It might have seemed worse now, but they were probably in the same boat... They had to be in the same boat, what other reason could possibly make sense..? "You came here f'r Mokuba... Why th' hell are you out here bugging us instead 'f in there?" Would she even answer..? Hell, should he have even bothered asking?

 

The woman stared, the smirk vanishing completely. "Why," she asked, adjusting the grip she held on her own arms. "Hn! You could say it answers this question as well," she began, both Yugi and Katsuya narrowing their eyes at that. "'Why did I lose at Death-T?'," she asked, answering her own question before anyone could come up with a smart-ass remark (He sure as hell had one). "I searched endlessly for the answer... How was it that at the last moment, you summoned up a miracle, 'Yugi?" She turned, staring past the group with a neutral stare as the wind blew about them. "I think I know what that answer is," she stated, Katsuya blinking with minor surprise. The answer..? "The thing that Yugi had that I did not..." Did she mean... Er... Was she talking to herself? He glanced back at the others, watching as Anzu gave a small shrug while Honda simply stared with a baffled expression on his face. Bakura of course had little clue what was going on, so he wasn't really sure that this wasn't normal but...

 

Huh...

 

He blinked again as the woman continued, hands moving toward something around her neck. ' _The thing Yugi had'_... Abruptly, he tensed as he realized what the woman was holding, the theory of a 'hostage' appearing all the more likely. That thing... It was the locket that Mokuba had... "Yugi," Seto shouted, dropping the locket to speak again. "If you want to enter the castle, you'll need to get through me first... This duel was fated to happen from the start!" At this, Yugi nodded. Apparently his mind was already made up. Of course Bakura and Anzu were both attempting to convince him otherwise until someone else showed up... (' _You already have ten starchips, you don't need to fight!_ ')

 

And _ohhhh_ speak of the devil, that someone else was appearing at a time where he could avoid getting his face smashed in. Asshole. "Not so fast," came Saruwatari's chuckling voice, Seto visibly eyeing the man with distaste. Well she obviously recognized him then, though he expected no less. "You can't run away from this one Yugi... Either you enter or Kaiba does," he continued with a smirk. "Not both of you!"

 

At this Katsuya narrowed his eyes. "Great... Figures it'd be like that," he muttered, glancing at Yugi once more. Well... This or nothing, for both of them really.

 

Beside him Yugi returned the stare before nodding. Well... Here went nothing then... "Alright Kaiba," the boy stated, eyes narrowing slightly. "I accept this duel... And I will defeat you!" In response the woman merely grabbed her briefcase and led them through the door to the courtyard.

 

"Good," she stated bluntly, back turned to the others as she walked. "I'll show you where we'll be fighting then." Past courtyard they were taken to a tunnel of sorts at the side, and upon being taken through that the group soon arrived to a large 'balcony' of sorts looking out at the sea.

 

Walking in silence, Katsuya blinked as Anzu's voice barely came over the air behind him. "Kaiba doesn't look too good," she was muttering under her breath. As the blond turned to her, Anzu jumped

slightly before continuing. "Jonouchi," she said with a slight frown, reading the teen's expression as they found a place to stand at the side. "You noticed as well..?"

 

As he nodded Honda also joined in the conversation with a frown. "Yeah," the teen said, "I noticed too- he look a bit paler than normal?" Just a tad...

 

Katsuya coughed awkwardly, while Anzu nodded once more in agreement. "Ghost white," she said with wide eyes, before narrowing them with a frown. "He's shaking a bit too... Maybe he's sick?"

 

"He did just wake up from a coma..." Honda frowned, crossing his arms. "I mean... That can't be healthy, but I figured since he had the energy to be as big a jerk as he normally is..."

 

The two turned to Katsuya, as though waiting for his input on this. "Nh-" The blond growled, crossing his arms. "What, because I live there I have all th' answers?" They merely continued staring, Bakura seeming to do the same as they gave him a look that said (rather bluntly), ' _Yes'_. He groaned, leaning against the wall beside the balcony stairs. "Look... Y' said it yerself Honda, I mean... Pegasus' got Mokuba! And..." He continued to frown, mentally wishing that he could actually answer the question asked for once. Honestly, he had no clue the reason why, he was in the same boat! Damn it... "Well if Pegasus' had me on a leash like that I'd be pale too," he finally muttered, trailing off as he stared back toward the balcony. At this, the others fell silent themselves- In some cases with worried thoughts of something worse, and in others the reassurance that it was just a show of, for once, nerves. It couldn't be anything else right? What other reason did they have to think really...

 

"Well," Bakura finally said, turning back to the front. "He seems fine enough so far right..? So lets just watch the duel then..." The albino's words seemed to be all it took to solidify that reassurance for those who had gained it, and the four moved to focus on the soon-to-begin duel. While the others had been talking Yugi and Seto had both walked to on the ends of the balcony, the woman having roughly handed Yugi a duel disk before pulling something from her pocket. Looking at them from a distance, you couldn't really guess that one was near collapse... Though she couldn't be that far gone right?

 

...Right? "Yugi," Seto stated, expression seeming distant yet again. "We'll each bet five starchips on this duel... Only the person who wins may enter Pegasus' castle," she continued, dropping the chips to the ground in front of her. "Understand?" There was a curt nod from Yugi as the boy pulled half of his chips from the glove, dropping them in front of him as well. At that, she as well nodded. "Good... And of course, we'll be using my duel-disks to fight- but it won't be the same as when I fought your 'mutt," she continued, Katsuya growling slightly in response. Again with the dog comments! Would she just drop it already? He shook it off however, continuing to listen as he and the others watched from the sidelines. "I've switched the system to 'Expert Mode', so the game will be more our speed..." And what the hell was that supposed to mean, he wondered idly, face still slightly red as he listened to Seto walk Yugi through the set up of the disk. 'Our speed', honestly...

 

From behind, the others already started up a cheer, Honda's in particular sounding over the air rather loudly. "GO FOR IT YUGI!" he cried, Katsuya watching as his friend attached the duel disk to his arm and inserted his deck. "You beat this guy twice before, you can do it again!"

 

At those words Yugi nodded, while Seto merely narrowed her eyes. "Are you ready Yugi?" she shouted, her own deck long since placed in the holder on the duel disk. Watching the two stare each other down, Katsuya briefly wondered who the hell he was supposed to cheer for. Seto wasn't in the tournament... It should have been easy for her to force her way into Pegasus' castle. With this in mind though, why couldn't Yugi win a second duel and follow in after? Or was there even time for that, he thought with a frown. It was almost sun-down after all. Damn it... Yugi's grandfather and Seto's brother...

 

They both had something to fight for, so how the hell could he favor one side! Mentally, he groaned. Man...

 

If only this was way-back-when, back when he would be in the same boat as Honda and the others. Namely easily able to say ' _Kaiba's sick? Huh. Oh well, GO YUGI!_ '. Course...

 

Now that he thought about it he'd take the current situation over that one. Sheesh... He rubbed his head, attempting to clear his head before it just gave up on him. Couldn't think straight... What was with all this, seriously... The blond shook it off, focusing on the two duelists again and watching as Yugi gave Seto a single nod in response to her question.

 

Yugi grabbed his disk with a determined glare, and as the duelists prepared to start the wind appeared to pick up in anticipation. "I am!" he shouted, and with a single word it began.

 

"DUEL!"

 


	13. And I Stand Alone

The so called 'balcony' they stood upon was not at all such a thing. Carved from a stone cliff the enormous castle had been built into the rock and these towers were no different. Other areas of the castle might have had areas where it would be safe to fall from...

 

However this most certainly wasn't one of them, and if she had to hazard a guess she would say they were at least 40 meters above ground. Though she doubted the others knew this (or cared, as she certainly didn't), it did not change the fact that they were currently dueling above the altered remains of a pair of towers that were meant for imprisonment. The barred windows on the side that she'd spotted going up the staircase told her that much at least. Not to mention the clearly 'built above ground' stairs leading to it. Regardless of the location, regardless of the wind that was now blowing so strongly that even her briefcase was shaking against the wall, it was time to fight. For Mokuba, and only him.

 

Nothing more nothing less.

 

_'DUEL!'_ , they had cried, voices somehow carried through the ever increasing pressures of the wind. With that single word the game had begun, each of them staring the other down in an act that could almost be called a game in itself. The game had started; rather than the basic 'one monster' set up from before, the 'expert mode' would allow all five slots to be filled at once. She needed to test that option as well after all, and while she'd have much rather taken Pegasus by surprise with this...

 

Well, she could at least hopefully catch her current opponent off guard. "Draw five cards from the deck holder," she explained, doing so as her own opponent mimicked the action. "And place them in the duel disk; set your main monster in the center." And as Yugi did just that, she flung the disk forward, her own 'first play' already made up. Her strategy would not be broken... "When that's done, throw them into the center of the field!" Not this time! Of course, she thought grimly as her opponent tossed the wheel out himself, the chances were that somehow Yugi would manage to figure out how the device worked regardless. She narrowed her eyes as Yugi's 'Curse of Dragon' appeared, though given the shouts from the side and her opponent's face a smirk had to come across her face. ' _Woah_ ,' the 'mutt' was shouting from the side, surprise clearly evident in his tone. ' _Is this... Expert mode?_ ' As a matter of fact yes...

 

Yes it was. The smirk grew as her opponent stared, regardless of the fact that her own main monster was currently weaker. After all... In this strategy... "Hnhnhnhn... I'll start," she shouted, taking advantage of the boy's shocked silence. Behind her, a large metallic beast crawled out from a card, actions almost mirroring the dragon that Yugi had summoned to the field himself. Thick blade like wings spread behind the monster as she continued, still ignoring the shouts from the side. "My main monster, Ryu-Kishin Powered attacks!" As her opponent frowned, the smirk grew. He hadn't guessed yet? Well, she'd just have to show him what she meant... "Hnhnhn... Of course," she stated with a smug tone, "My cybernetic gargoyle isn't nearly as strong as your dragon... So..." Lets see... One two three... There. That one. "I attack that card," she shouted, the gargoyle behind her charging up a beam as its master pointed. "Powered Beam !" In one swift blast the beam hit Yugi's far left card, the card itself flipping to reveal itself as the 'Feral Imp'. As the card itself began to fade away into nothingness, she took her slightly more 'relaxed' pose and waited for her opponent's response.

 

Across from her Yugi was frowning. Given his expression, it was fairly clear that he did not appreciate being the first to take a hit by a rule he wasn't aware of. "You can attack the cards directly?" he shouted incredulously, Seto merely smirking in response. Of course they could... Did he expect anything else? Really...

 

He should have known there would be a catch. "Of course," she stated, the smirk still in place. Her exhaustion seemed to essentially melt away as she spoke, the energy from the duel filling her with focus. Even if it was just the beginning, even if she didn't know just how 'serious' her opponent was taking this... To duel against this 'rival' of hers again was in itself invigorating. "Granted," she continued dismissively, "There is a risk in attacking unknown face down cards; if it's a monster with higher attack points, I run the risk of killing myself!" The woman chuckled as her opponent's card vanished into nothingness, arms crossed. "But it looks like my instincts were correct," she continued with a dark and almost fox-like grin. "And because of that, I was able to take out one of your weak monsters!" Her opponent continued to frown momentarily, before the expression shifted to his standard 'game face'. Hn!

 

Looked like he was getting into it as well. And good... She wanted no less than an all out battle! "Are you ready Kaiba," he shouted, the woman bringing her arms to the side as Yugi's turn came up. "It's time to settle this once and for all!"

 

She snorted, eyes narrowed as her smirk lessened just slightly. "Hn!" Speaking of an all out battle... Her expression became more severe as she looked down to her opponent, eyes narrowed. "Yugi," she stated, the boy staring back with a frown in response. She had to make sure of at least this... That he knew this, even before the battle began. "Even though we're enemies in this fight, we share the same objective..."

 

Yugi nodded, eyes narrowed as well. "Beating Pegasus," he called with a frown, Seto appearing to 'look down' on him in response. That was right...

 

"Indeed... But," she continued, the smirk growing again, "If you really want to see Pegasus defeated, then you have no choice but to lose here to me!" As her opponent's frown deepened she continued, grimly recalling just how true her words were. After all, after the battle between Pegasus and Keith... Well. These words held their value in large numbers even without the battle taunt in play. "Because it is impossible for you to defeat Pegasus!" Regardless of skill.

 

The boy across from her tensed, as did a number of the 'peanut gallery' to the side. Though all of them appeared to be voicing their disagreement, it was effectively summed up by her opponent himself. "What..!" Surprised? Hn!

 

The smirk darkened into more of a frown, and she pointed toward the spinning duel disks at their feet. "Take a look," she shouted, her opponent staring down to follow her gesture as the frown deepened. "I invented this machine," she continued, the scowl darkening even further, "And only a person who knows how to use it to its full extent can have a chance of beating Pegasus!" As those around her

continued to fix narrowed stares in her direction, the woman crossed her arms. "There's no doubt that Pegasus can, either through some sort of trick or 'psychic power' read minds," she continued lowly, growling as she spoke. "But Solid Vision cards hide your face and body from the opponent, and in addition to that there's a chance that the distance between opponents will take the player out of range of that power! This duel disk," Seto shouted, "Was designed solely to beat him... I will bury Pegasus with the same hands that built this device!"

 

Even with the silence, she knew what the reaction would be. Of course that wouldn't cause her opponent to falter; she expected no less really, particularly from this strange 'other side' of the boy. Said boy was snorting, a smirk across his face as he merely sent her that same determined glare from before. "Hn! Save the boasting for after you beat me," he shouted, eliciting a mental frown from the woman. Regardless of how much he took this battle seriously, and how much she herself was putting into this duel.. How the hell was she boasting-?! She was trying to say, quite clearly, that he had.

 

No.

 

Chance...

 

Because of the technology! ...Granted, she was definitely going to prove that she was the better duelist, win this battle for Mokuba if not for herself as well...

 

But that was irrelevant. "It's my turn," Yugi continued, Seto fixing the boy with a blank stare in response. "Continue the duel!" Well said. For the next few moments Yugi merely stared across the 'balcony' with narrowed eyes, opponent following his gaze. The boy was staring at each card with evident suspicion, and Seto had to smirk in response.

 

"Hnhnhnhn..." She knew what he was thinking... He was wondering if one of her cards was a power up for Ryu-Kishin. Wondering what other traps lay in wait for him, what other loop-holes this 'expert mode' gave. Granted, there wasn't one that she had on hand for this particular moment... But nonetheless. It looked as though the boy had already grasped what 'expert mode' meant, and not a moment too soon. The 'sub card' slats on the side of course were meant to hold four 'face down' cards, but they were far from useless when used properly. After all if they were spells or traps, the 'main monster' could effectively become unstoppable... She continued chuckling as her opponent's face darkened, before opening her mouth to speak. "What's the matter Yugi," she called out with a dark grin, watching as Yugi continued to stare with evident suspicion. "Come on! Defeat my Ryu-Kishin Powered!" The key in winning this sort of duel lay in two places, she thought to herself as Yugi continued to glare. One by reinforcing the main monster with multiple cards... And the other... "Hnhnhn... If you think there's a spell card among my 'side cards', then why not trust your instincts?" she shouted loudly, smirk growing. Words held power... In everything and anything. With just a few words it would be easy to manipulate the opponent into making the intended move... "Attack! If it's a spell card, you'll only destroy it after all... But be careful," she added, disguised voice lowering slightly as dark smirk locked into place. "Some of them are monsters... And if you attack a powerful one, not only do I win but you lose lifepoints..." It would be dangerous to attack something face down without thinking of course. Anything could be there, another monster, or a trap...

 

And Yugi knew well to act on that, as any other duelist would do. "Alright," the boy shouted, Seto watching in silence as her opponent continued. Come on... "The only thing I can do is attack... Go, Accursed Dragon," he shouted, the hologram charging forward with a blast of flames from its mouth. "Attack Kaiba's gargoyle!" The dragon rose above Ryu Kishin, and in a few moments there was nothing but heat from the light resulting. " _FLAMES OF HELL_!"

 

Hn... As both her opponent and the 'gallery' cheered at her 'loss', she smirked. It was... Interesting, she noted idly, how the 'normal' Yugi had suddenly referred to her as 'Kaiba-san' the night before, while the current dropped honorifics altogether... Strange, but interesting. She didn't have time to pay that mind however, she reminded herself.

 

None at all. "Hnhnhnn..." The woman chuckled, looking toward her opponent with the same smirk she held from before. "I knew you would come at me without fear," she stated, arms crossed as the cheering faded. "It was worth taking that blow just to make sure of even that... Hnhnhnn..." Regardless of the shouts of ' _he was just bluffing!_ ' from the side, Seto continued chuckling. Bluffing was she..? Just watch... "My turn," she called, the smirk still set in place. "I draw a new card!" From below on the wheel, her main card had been tossed to the side, protected from the pressuring winds by the stone ledge around them. Looking over the card briefly, she turned her attention back to the field with a growing smirk. "Cards that lose in battle are flicked to the side to make room for other cards," she stated in an almost dismissive fashion, crossing her arms once more. No need to use this card that she'd drawn... It wouldn't affect anything further than the strategy she already had in place so far. "But while it's possible to reel the duel disk back in order to replace it," she continued, "I'm going to keep fighting with the cards I have!" At her words, the 'cards' before her shuddered, and her smirk widened into a grin. "Come out Swordstalker," she called, watching her opponent's eyes narrow again. The card flipped around, a demonic and apparently noseless being appearing with a sword half the size of it's own body. Yugi's eyes were practically boring holes into the monster, calculating its every being. Hnhnhn...

 

He was probably wondering if she had an upgrade for the card... After all, Swordstalker was just as powerful as the Curse of Dragon, in attack power, and in level alike.

 

"There's one disadvantage to attacking with a 'sub-card'," the woman stated, her smirk having vanished into a more netural gaze. Mind as well 'reassure' her opponent before the fall at least... "Magic cards and effects won't work on it, leaving the monster as it is... However," she added, quickly regaining her grin as an ethereal shadow appeared above the monster. "Swordstalker has the ability to absorb the anger of its fallen comrades, channeling their power into his sword..." The holographic shade seeped into Swordstalker's blade, and at Yugi's expression she continued to laugh. The blade was surrounded in the glowing light, and with the 20% bonus Swordstalker now had four hundred more points than the dragon... More than enough to deal the next blow! The smirk grew and she pointed her monster forward with a nod. "Hnhnhn... Go! Swordstalker!" As the demonic blademaster swung his blade toward the dragon however, Seto's smirk plummeted. Yugi's chuckling now filled the air, and before the swordstalker's blade could connect with Curse of Dragon's neck the monster disappeared. Shit... He did that. "What..!" Her eyes widened, and for a moment the field remained clear. "You monster dis-" She froze as one of the cards flipped around, Yugi smirking as the image became clear from behind her Swordstalker. Damn it...

 

Why was it that he had just the right card to smash her strategies when it mattered... "I activated this card," he shouted, the image of a spell clearly seen to those watching now. "The spell 'Shift! With this," he continued as Seto grit her teeth, the woman knowing full well what the damn card did, "I can replace your intended victim with a monster who's a little more well-matched.." She narrowed her eyes as the card on the far right turned around as well, Yugi continuing confidently. "Specifically the card with the highest number of attack points... The Dark Magician!" Familiar violet robes swirled from existence as the mage appeared from the card, quickly taking the place of the now missing dragon. "And now," Yugi commanded, the magician pointing his staff forward at his master's call. "Kill the swordsman! Black Magic!" In a show of 'black light' the stalker vanished, another hundred points disappearing from Seto's counter. Cheers for Yugi were again coming from the side as her opponent chuckled, filling the air in a twisted chorus that had her narrowing her eyes. Noise, noise, noise...

 

She frowned however, expression softening as she listened close. Hang on... The frown did not appear to deepen in reality, but for a brief moment she found herself looking to the side with mixed confusion as the shouts continued. Strange... Her eyes narrowed slightly, the woman noticing that for all the volume of the 'peanut gallery' on the side, something was missing...

 

_'Hey Kaiba,'_ the woman of the group, 'Anzu', was shouting. ' _Underestimating Yugi is the world's fastest way to lose!_ ' She ignored the shouts, eyes skimming the small group in an instant before squinting. For all the noise... The normally loud one was oddly silent. She wasn't sure how she knew that he would be the loudest... But it seemed wrong, to see nothing more than a neutral and possibly conflicted expression among the crowd of people cheering her opponent on. Strange...

 

Why did this unnerve her...

 

The woman quickly recovered, mentally shaking it off. Whatever. It was nothing, and it didn't matter at the moment. She turned her gaze back to Yugi, the energy of the duel coming to a peak. Nothing mattered but this... Nothing mattered but this battle... She would still win after all...

 

Nothing would change that! "Hnhnhnhn... Yugi," she stated with a smirk, regardless of the slight disadvantage she was now at. It would be easy to make a comeback after all... Easy! "Fighting you again..." The chuckling continued, eyes almost crazed in appearance as she regained her resolve to fight in full. She was going all out, no doubt about it... This was the one who had defeated her twice before after all, the one who had caused her company's stock to decline in the first place... Setting in motion the events that had her brother taken from inside her home! This battle... "You wouldn't believe how much it gets me going!" With one swift motion she retracted the disk, placing the card she'd drawn earlier on the side whilst drawing another. "I'll add a card the duel disk now," she stated clearly, before removing her third monster from the side. "And I'll switch the positions of the cards for a new main monster!" With those words she threw the disk forward, device landing to the ground within mere moments. The cards re-appeared on the field along side a misting figure without legs, her main monster hovering in the air with crossed arms. "La Jinn, the Genie of the Lamp! Now Yugi," she shouted, grin once more on her face despite La Jinn's 'apparent' lack of power in the face of her opponent's own monster. "It's your turn!"

 

Across from her, Yugi nodded, apparently disregarding the weakness and the possibility for a trap both. "Right," he shouted, pulling his disk back and moving his hand to the disk and deck. "I draw a card," he shouted, shifting a few cards around on the device. "And I set it in the duel disk... Battle," the boy shouted, tossing the wheel back into the center of the 'balcony'. As his magician re-appeared behind him, the mage sending his staff forward with narrowed eyes Yugi continued to yell across the ravaging winds. "Dark Magician! Attack the Genie!" Seto's grin became darker, and with a low chuckle she stared her opponent down. All to late did Yugi realize what he'd walked into, eyes narrowed as she spoke.

 

"Trap activate," she announced, motioning for her card to flip. The image and description both appeared to her opponent in full, before the object itself misted into sight. "Ancient Lamp!" As Yugi's face fell just slightly, the image of a clawed and four-legged lamp appeared before them. From it's position on the board the D-Jinn instantly flew toward it, taking refuge as it's opponent sent the black magic his way. "Your Magician's spells bounce of the lamp," she continued, watching as the magic did just that with grim amusement. Bolts of shadow bounced off the reflective lamp's sides, charging toward the opposite end of the field with no signs of stopping. "And hit your own cards!" With a thundering crack in the air, the card Yugi had replaced his magician with vanished completely, opponent wincing as his life points dropped. "Curse of Dragon is Destroyed!" Hnhnhn...

 

One step forward, one step back... And for her, she'd be getting still another forward! Across from her Yugi's expression of anger had shifted into that of a dangerously eager smirk, the wind appearing to pick up more than it already had. "That," he began, eyes narrowed just slightly as they filled with a bizarre form of excitement, "Was amazing! ...To trap me!" The smirk widened, and as he looked forward to watch his opponent's next move it looked as though he might even laugh. "I applaud you!" Applause? She snorted, grin closing back up into a large and cruel smirk. If that was all it took to impress him...

 

Then obviously she'd overestimated him! Her eyes drifted over to the card she'd placed face down on the field, chuckling as wind pounded through her ears. Her blood was rushing and almost blocking out all sound from her, and the wind stung against her skin with a cold chill. Regardless of the cold however, she couldn't be bothered to acknowledge it. Things were just starting after all... And Yugi didn't know just what he'd be dealing with. Not even an inkling... He called that a 'trap'? HAH!

 

The real trap was yet to come. The first card for the unbreakable strategy had been drawn, and in just a few more moves... "Hnhnhnhn..." She was unable to contain her laughter as the thought came to mind, though she managed to silence it after a few moments. With those cards, she would polymerize her three dragons for the ultimate monster! And nothing would stop her then... From the side, the shouts continued, along side negative mutterings about their 'friend's opponent. Of course they had their 'doubts'... Didn't they always? Psh! What did those words matter in the end...

 

Her smirk remained completely in place as she crossed her arms, eyes narrowing with mirth. She would prove them wrong soon enough, watch as their faces fell when she crushed their precious 'friend's strategies into dust... Looking across the field as her opponent continued to scowl, she watched the magic lamp mist out of view. The trap was over...

 

"Are you ready," she shouted, her grin still in place as the lamp vanished from the field to leave the card in its wake. "It's my turn! The trap is over," the woman continued, her 'D-Jinn' reappearing at her side in the meantime. "The Magic Lamp returns to the disk, and the genie of the lamp re-emerges! Of course," she added, seemingly as an off hand thought, "It's no match for your Dark Magician... So for now," Seto continued, tone lowering to a seemingly impossible level as her monster turned its attention to the side of Yugi's 'field', "I have no choice but to attack your other cards! Go," she shouted, the genie behind her appearing to take a deep breath at the command. Time to get rid of the one Yugi had just placed... " _GENIE FIRE BURIAL!_ " In a blast of apparent flames the card was incinerated, burnt remains revealing themselves to be the Swords of Revealing Light. That one...

 

Good, she thought as she chuckled, relishing in the scowl her opponent now had. With that card gone, she wouldn't end up in the same embarrassing lock-down as she had at Death-T...

 

No 'three turn stalemates' this time! "Hnhnhn... My turn is over," she stated, moving her arms to her side once more. Next thing to cover... "But I can't leave the Ancient Lamp exposed like this... You'll just destroy it! So," she continued, waving her hand as the card flipped back over. Lets test this option... "I shuffle my cards!" The four cards on the field spun around each other rapidly, blurring into a single solitary line. They quickly slowed into four discernible shapes however, continuing to slow their pace before coming to a stop. Perfect... "Now," Seto stated with a laugh, grin widening to an almost fox-like state. "Guess which one is the lamp!" Across from her Yugi was now staring the cards down with a thoughtful frown. Now that the hand was shuffled, it was likely he wouldn't even attempt to attack... With La-Jinn and the Ancient Lamp on her field she had an unstoppable shield! And he knew that...

 

After all, attacking the face down cards could be catastrophic, _would_ be catastrophic! Not to mention, she thought with a slight grin, a small sword to hold Yugi off until the time was right. And even if the boy did attack she mentally added, expression remaining unchanged even at the thought, he had just as much chance of hitting the lamp as he did her Blue-Eyes White Dragon! And when that happened, the Dark Magician would be long gone... Along with 500 of Yugi's life points. Speaking of the boy...

 

"It's my turn," Yugi shouted, eyes narrowed as he finally made his move. "I draw a card," he continued, looking over the hand as he pulled the disk back. "And I set it on the disk!" Tossing it out the boy then crossed his arms and stared the woman down, saying nothing. Nothing at all...

 

Seto narrowed her eyes as the expression she dimly recalled from her previous matches against the boy came to mind, anger building in response. Was that it? Was that all he was doing..! "Come on!" she shouted, eyes narrowed. He had to do something, anything! But she would not just sit by and watch him delay the inevitable! "Attack me! You'll fall into my trap regardless Yugi, so attack!" Yugi was chuckling again. Damn it...

 

Whenever he did that it was never a good sign. She grit her teeth, eyes narrowing as the chuckling grew louder. "Heheheheh..." The boy fixed her with the same confident smirk he had those times before, pointing to one of his cards and flipping it around. "Your Genie-Lamp combo is finished Kaiba," he stated clearly, the woman in question freezing as the card was revealed. "Spell card," he called, "The Eye of Truth!" The eye of- What! Agghhh... Of all the cards... "Heheheh... Now I'll see just which card of yours I need to destroy," he shouted, Seto watching as her cards flipped around in response to the spell. Play with her hand revealed... Damn it! At least it was just this turn... Even so! With the reveal of her dragon, both her opponent and opponent's 'friends' both stared with shock. Scum... Revealing her hand was effectively the ultimate humiliation, her strategy was essentially there for all watching to see! In fact it probably was... Shouts of confusion and encouragement for the opposing player both filled the field, and Seto's eyes narrowed dangerously as she growled. The morons at the side didn't realize it... They couldn't tell why she had her dragon sitting on the sidelines... But if the expression on Yugi's was any clue, he did. He most certainly did...

 

She needed to draw Polymerization, so she could merge the dragons... She couldn't just attack with one, Yugi had already proven a strategy against that! She had no way of telling if he didn't already have it in place across the field... And if she lost even one of her dragons, then it was just as likely he'd bring it back to his own side! Her teeth ground at that thought, and as a growl continued to form at the back of her throat she clenched her fists. And to hell if she was letting anyone use her dragons... Wait and see, she told herself with grit teeth. She'd merge the dragons together and return the humiliation threefold!

 

Once again Yugi's expression was shifting around from determined confidence and nervousness. Attack or don't attack... After all, though the cards were there, there was obviously something else hidden to the boy that she had in mind. In the end however, he apparently settled for the former of expressions, eyes narrowing as he calmed. "Alright," he called, waving a hand over one of his cards. The spell flipped forward, and as it faded from existence two boxes appeared. Shit... This one too... "Mystic Box of Death," Yugi cried, Seto growing slightly pale in the meantime. Shit... The boxes just surrounded Dark Magician and her Lamp. Her opponent continued to chuckle, the boy's arms crossed as swords began to impale the box on his side. "Heheheh... This might seem unsafe," he was saying, a smirk appearing in place of his earlier frown. The reverse was the case on Seto's own face, and her frown was threatening to become a complete rage-filled scowl. "But I'd like to perform a little magic trick, and I need a volunteer..." As the last sword impaled the side of the box, Seto found herself biting her tongue. God damned joke making scum... Did he know no bounds for the humiliation! "How about your card?" Yugi was 'asking', the image of her now skewered Magic Lamp card appearing in the far off box as its door opened. And of course, that meant that in the second one... "And presto! The Dark Magician appears from the other one!" The door widened just as he said this, Dark Magician, calmly stepping out with his staff in hand. And now he got a free attack. God... Damn it... All...

 

"Gh..."

 

With those exact words, Yugi's Magician raised its staff toward her D-Jinn, free hand pointing forward in an almost insulting manner. " _BLACK MAGIC_ ," Yugi shouted, the D-Jinn easily fried by the resulting attack. "La-Jinn is slain!" Tch... Curse him... Curse him to the very depths of hell... Her combo had been slashed and slashed again, and now her lifepoints sat at below even half! "Kaiba," her opponent was shouting, the woman growling lowly in response. "I won't let you polymerize your three blue-eyes! I'll take our your life points before you even have the chance!" Well, so he had guessed... Seto grit her teeth, before calming herself down. Had to calm down... Had to, had to... Why was she worried, she asked herself mentally. She could still win... She would still win! This...

 

This was just a minor set back, something to humiliate her opponent further when she summoned the Ultimate Dragon to decimate him completely! A smirk appeared on her face with those thoughts, and she chuckled. "Hnhnhnhn... Just try it," she muttered, mood once more taking a turn for the apparently positive. She would win... If it was the last thing she did she would win... "But don't underestimate me Yugi," she continued with a dangerously 'positive' tone, appearing to sound more crazed than severe. "My formula for victory is more perfect than you think!" With the flick of her wrist the dueldisk was pulled back, Seto catching it neatly with one hand. "Let's go," she shouted, drive renewed once more. "It's my turn! And I draw a card!" She looked over the now two-card hand she had, smirk growing as a plan came to mind. From her last draw she had 'Saggi the Dark Clown'... Obviously a weakling without his dark energy, so she wouldn't be sending him out in attack mode any time soon. But this other card... She chuckled darkly, setting the monster in the main slot and clicking the 'defense button' as the smirk grew into a grin. With this, she had a combo that would by far surpass her last one! "Go!" Visible recognition could be seen in Yugi's eyes as Sagi hovered before her other cards protectively. "Hnhnhn... As you can see," she stated with a smirk, waving a hand over her monster. "Sagi is in defense mode... Turn over," she shouted, crossing her arms and watching. The strategy was in place...

 

Thanks to defense, Yugi had no choice but to attack Saggi rather than the cards... And if he didn't move this time, then she'd simply keep laying the trap out until her Blue Eyes were ready! It was flawless... Completely flawless..!

 

"My turn," Yugi shouted, pulling his disk back and drawing Seto's attention forward once more. "I draw a card!" Silence reigned over the field as the boy switched his cards around, placing both cards he'd had in his hand on the disk. What would he do... "I replace my main card with Gaia," he shouted, tossing the disk forward as the horseman appeared. Gaia? Hah! The same monster that had destroyed Saggi last time... Interesting. "And I attack Saggi! SPIRAL SABRE," the boy continued, round slices appearing in Saggi's form as Gaia charged. "The dark clown dies!" But not without doing as needed... Hnhnhnhn...

 

First move and the trap was triggered! This would go faster than even she had expected! "Hnhnhnhnhn..." From Saggi's disappearing form came the trap she'd rigged the monster with, the card appearing from beneath the monster in a synthesized pillar of acrid smoke. "Hnhnhnhahaha!" As the card's effect activated Yugi's monsters both began to disappear, the woman's opponent drawing back with a shout as it happened. "HAHAHAHAAA! Surprised?" she asked loudly, a grin appearing on her face as her opponent's own expression fell considerably. "You can thank this! The Crush Card Virus!" She continued to laugh, waving a hand as the 'Virus Card' continued to infect the field completely. "I infected Saggi with this, so that once your monster struck it would activate! And now," the woman went on, grin growing wider and darker as she laughed, "It's not only infected your hand, but your entire deck! Now all cards with over 1500 attack points... All of your best cards will be useless," she continued, her grin growing to nearly crazed appearances, "I've destroyed your entire deck," she shouted, watching as her opponent's face fell farther and farther into horror. "And with that, your cards are as good as dead!" Not a single chance...

 

Yugi didn't have a single chance of recovering from this! Her chuckling continued, and from the side angered shouts could again be heard. 'Cheap' was a word that stood out... She expected as much. Eyes did not even drift that way however, not once. Though for a brief moment her grin had to appear more honest than crazed- amid the shouts that currently filled the air, that one voice from before was once more non-existent. Interesting...

 

She didn't know why this stood out to her but it was strange. The 'dog' at the sidelines wasn't picking a side at all, only watching... Staring...

 

Now what was it that had him so attached to the 'middle point', his 'third option'? Seto turned her attention back to the duel, mentally shaking it off. Who cared what it was... All that mattered was that she was going to win this fight no questions asked! Her eyes narrowed in focus, the smile she'd had on her face becoming a dark smirk once more. This time... Regardless of the situation bringing them here not being what she preferred, regardless of Pegasus, of her brother's capture... This time she would make sure that Yugi knew true terror, knew true loss! Knew just what it was she had felt around the climax of her last duel... She would freeze his blood solid...

 

Give him the same nightmares she'd had long ago...

 

"Hnhnhnhnhn..." The glare from across the field intensified, her own smirk growing in response. Someone angry? That would only increase before the 'fall' in the end... And what an end it would be! "It's your turn," she stated, crossing her arms as she calmed down once more. "Neither of us have a monster on the field... Draw two cards and set them in your disk for my next monster to destroy in an instant!" Again Yugi scowled, but nonetheless did as stated. Two cards were drawn, and for a moment he merely stared at both cards with a blank expression. At the sight of the boy discarding one with a scowl however, she had to chuckle lightly. And another one infected by the virus...

 

What other reason would he discard it after all. Seto watched as the disk was pulled back, only to be thrown out with a crouched and growling white wolf. Silver Fang. Defense mode. For a moment, she successfully held her laughter off but in the end it was no use.

 

"Hnhnhnhn... Hahaha! The only cards left in your deck are complete junk," she said with a grin, moving to draw from her deck. And it was all her doing... Now that she had no 'active' monsters on the field, it was time to continue what she started. "It's my turn," the woman stated, pulling two cards from her deck. "I draw two cards!" She looked over her hand, smirking. Aside from the this spell card... The second Blue Eyes White Dragon was in her hand..! Seto looked over the field with calculating eyes, pulling the dueldisk back and shifting her cards around once more. She had Yugi running and hiding now, hiding behind now worthless cards in an attempt to block her wrath... But turn by turn, she thought with a grin, the cards she needed were gathering in her hands... And when all were there... The second Blue-Eyes was set in the 'sub' section, the woman placing a different monster in the main section. The element of surprise would be hers again, and so would the battle! Tossing the disk out with a strength betraying earlier appearances, the grin on her face grew slightly more psychotic in appearance. "I play the Battle Ox," sh shouted, the armored minotaur appearing behind her. "Now go! Kill Silver Fang!" she commanded, the monster rushing its opponent to slice it in two with the axe. "Axe Crusher!" More shouts from the side. Shouts of worry and of faltering faith... "Hnhnhnhn... HAHAHAHAHA!" Even Yugi's precious friends were losing their beliefs in the boy, how fitting before he lost..! "Don't think this is the worst Yugi," Seto shouted with a wicked grin. "I have much stronger ones coming... This is just something to keep you occupied!"

 

Her chuckling died down, grin fading into a small smirk at the glare Yugi sent toward her. ' _you..._ ', he seemed to say.

 

It was quiet, after all. "Hnhnhnhn... It's almost pathetic," she stated with narrowed eyes, brushing a bit of hair from her face as the wind gave a particularly rough blast. Times like this that made her appreciate short hair even more... Unlike her opponent, who was somehow able to ignore the hair blowing into his face. "Even the Battle Ox, whose attack is less than 2000 has become out of your league..." She was prepared for anything... Anything that might happen! Two Blue-Eyes were hidden in her 'hand', same with a negate attack should Yugi find a way out of the virus trap... And should anything else happen she had 'Gift of the Mystical Elf' to restore her lifepoints. Her hand was perfect..! She could not lose, she would not lose! For Mokuba's sake... And to prove her own power! Her victory had been decided long ago, before all of this! "Now Yugi," she shouted, her opponent currently staring across the field with a blank and possibly fearful gaze. "It's your move!" Yugi continued to

frown, and her own grin grew. Hesitating? Scared maybe? "Hurry up," the woman continued, the shouts from the side now dying down once more. "Play your next card so the Battle Ox can destroy it!"

 

Yugi merely narrowed his eyes at the shouts, before drawing two cards. Briefly, she frowned. Was that a look of triumph she saw..? No matter, she decided as the disk was thrown out. "My new main monster," Yugi was shouting, Seto merely smirking in response. "Griffor!"

 

"Hmph!" And she'd been worried... Pah! What reasons did she have to even flinch with the lockdown she had? "Griffor," she asked incredulously, the smirk growing into a dark grin. Another weakling... She might not even have a chance to summon her dragon at this rate!

 

"Another useless shield monster... My minotaur will crush it and you'll be one card closer to your end!" Her smirk dropped when Yugi as well began chuckling, her eyes narrowing as the boy spoke. Damn it...

 

What now? "Except it's not in defense mode," he stated, before waving a hand over one of his cards. What? Why the hell would he do something like th- "Horn of the Unicorn," Yugi cried, Seto gritting her teeth in response. Great. Equip spell. Aggggghh... "I combo attack with this card!" The horn latched itself to Griffor's head, and in a sudden pulse of synthesized thunder the monster launched its boosted attack. " _GRIFFOR ARROW!_ " Yugi cried, the Battle Ox's hologram misting from existence as her lifepoints took another hit. Remnants of the attack danced around the air before following behind it, Seto holding back a growl. "The Battle Ox goes down!" Hn! More shouts...

 

More cheers and insults filling the air with noise... Nonetheless, she'd prepared even for this hadn't she? "Hnhnhnhnhn... So you defeated the puny battle ox," she stated with a chuckle, those watching giving a confused frown in response. The card could only be activated after an attack... With this... "I almost want to thank you for it!" More confusion... Always prepare ahead of time, she knew that Yugi would do something after all... She smirked, still chuckling as she continued. "I probably don't have to tell you this, but if you switch your monster to Attack Mode, it remains that way until the beginning of your next turn... In other words," she stated as Yugi abruptly tensed, "Your monster is open to attack! Hnhnhnhn... I hope you made the right decision," she stated with a low voice, eyes narrowing. The advantage was still hers..! "My turn! And before I draw my cards," she called out, her spell card flipping around to glow with light, "I'll play this spell! The Gift of the Mystical Elf!" As Yugi reeled back in shock and anger, she smirked. This card would bring back more life points than she had before the attack... Not much but nonetheless. At least it meant she was closer to 1000 and she was 0. "Hnhnhnhn... Now I've healed from your little attack," she stated, pulling back her duel disk as she continued. "And since my field is clear, I can draw two new cards!" And they were...

 

Polymerization and Blue-Eyes. Her neutral gaze twisted into a far darker smirk reminiscent of even her duel at Death-T. All three Blue-Eyes were in her hand, as was the Polymerization card! She placed the third Blue-Eyes in the center, clicking Polymerization into place at the side. With this turn she would play the first dragon... Merging them would take one more. Now...

 

Her smirk widened into a manic grin as the victory she'd envisioned came closer and closer. Now he was at last at her complete mercy! "Come out Blue Eyes," she roared, sending the dragon out with a wide grin. White shimmering scales appeared in a blast of light, the dragon coiling in the air as it gave off a loud roar. As shock and defeat came over the faces of most watching, her grin grew. "This is it Yugi," she shouted, voice barely carrying over the roar of her dragon and the still increasing pressure of the wind. "Get ready... _BURST STREAM OF DESTRUCTION_ ! Die, trash!" The resulting explosion blinded the field as Griffor's hologram seeped out of existence. Blue-Eyes returned to its position behind her, growling in an almost amused fashion at the sight. Of course even though Griffor was complete trash on the field Yugi was still alive... Barely. "Hnhnhnn... A close one wasn't it," she asked, almost looking down at the boy across from her. "Good... Now it's your turn!"

 

100 lifepoints... That was all that stood between her and victory, her and her brother, her and Pegasus' lucky-to-be-alive existence. Her opponent growled from across from her, drawing his cards before tossing his disk out with a new monster. "I play this in defense mode," he shouted, a stone golem appearing in a huddled position on the field. "My turn's over..." Defense...

 

She'd ordinarily be amused by this, with victory so close in sight, but at the same time she wanted nothing more than this to end now... "Yugi," she stated, eyes narrowed as her expression became an almost neutral frown. This was it... The time had come. "From the moment I met you I've tasted nothing but the thirst of defeat... A hunger for victory that has since gone unsatisfied..." Her eyes narrowed, and with her next words all three of her remaining 'trump cards' came into play. "Until now... BLUE-EYES," she roared, voice echoing clearly over the wind as the three dragons she'd played began to swirl into one being. "POLYMERIZE!" The dragons continued to swirl, before the hologram cleared up to reveal three snarling heads atop an immense and white scaled body. "Merge and become the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!" As the roars sounded from behind, Seto had to laugh. The ultimate dragon flew over and before her, hovering in place above the center of the field. It easily dwarfed the golem before it, and even the three dragons who had created it would have shrunk in it's presence. "Hahahahahhaa! What do you think," she shouted, her opponent's face frozen with shock in the beast's presence. "Look Yugi... Isn't it beautiful? The world's strongest killing machine!" 4500 attack points, against little more than a scrap heap for a defense... This duel was over! "Hnhnhnhnhn... Are you ready Yugi?" she called, calming herself down and bringing her crazed grin to a smirk. Truly a wonderful sight, this dragon... She needed to focus though. Focus... "This weight I've carried," she muttered with a slight frown, those around having little response. Their shouts had long since died, and she could care less. "This weight of defeat that's been pulling me down since the day you threw it on me..." Her eyes narrowed, before the frown shifted into a dark smirk. "Now it's your turn to carry it!" she cried, pointing her dragon forward. "And you'll crawl on the ground in humiliation! HERE I COME... BLUE EYES ULTIMATE DRAGON," she shouted, all three heads roaring in response her cries. "ATTACK! _ULTIMATE BURST!_ "

 

She didn't attack the defense monster this time. Not when Yugi could well have traps and spells set up for the dragon lying in wait, not when her monster was now vulnerable to a single hit. In a burst of light Yugi's spell flipped around, misting out of existence as her opponent winced.

 

'Monster Recovery'... "Hmph," she muttered, arms crossed as the dragon returned to her side. "Nothing but a spell... But that's fine," she decided, eyes narrowed to slits as she stared her opponent down. If Blue-Eyes hadn't been taken out before, then he obviously had nothing else lying in wait... "There's no way out after all... Nothing will save you!" She. Could. Not. Lose. Not at all... She chuckled as her opponent froze, ignoring the wind that pounded against her. "Now Yugi," the woman shouted loudly. "It's your turn! If you aren't going to surrender," she continued with a wicked grin, "Then draw a card!"

 

Yugi was staring at his deck, eye narrowed. The look of defeat was there. It wasn't moving, not this time... As her eyes narrowed however, the cheers from the side filled the air once more. And this time... She gave a slight smirk, the expression almost feeling foreign as opposed to her general look. Hn! The mutt was shouting now. In fact... At the moment he seemed to be the _only one_ shouting, making his voice all the more apparent. "YUGI," he was shouting, her opponent turning to the blond in response. They were all silent, all of them... Just listening as this mutt shouted at the top of his lungs. "We're almost at Pegasus' castle..! We worked hard to get here," the blond was continuing, deliberately turned away from Seto as he shouted. She couldn't see his face... "If you give up now... We'll never get in!"

 

More shouts, more words of encouragement. More noise... As she turned her attention back to Yugi, she noted that the boy's expression had shifted to that of a familiar determined glare. "Hmn..." ' _I won't give up,'_ he seemed to be saying, the shouts from the others continuing as once again the blond's cries faded to the silence he'd uncharacteristically held. Never giving up... Alright then. Her opponent drew his card, and Seto's expression shifted back into it's dark smirk. Come at her until the very end then! Let her crush that hope at full blast, in one move! And only one! "Draw," Yugi shouted, pulling his next card from the deck. He pulled his disk back, setting something on the device before tossing it out. "I'll add this card to my 'subs' this turn... My main monster," he continued with grit teeth, "The Giant Soldier, stays in defense mode! And my turn ends!" Good!

 

Then she would destroy it! "My turn," Seto shouted, dark grin still in place. Alright... Four cards were in place; instinct told her to destroy those cards, but knowing Yugi at least one was a trap. Her grin vanished momentarily, the woman sinking further into thought. And wouldn't it be absolutely moronic to be caught in the same trap she did in her last duel... The spellbound circle from the last duel... A mental nod was made at those thoughts, and her smirk returned. Alright. She'd play it safe this turn... Or somewhat safe at least. "ULTIMATE BURST ," she called, a simple head-tilt telling her dragon what to attack. White lightning coursed across the field to blast through Yugi's monster, and the smirk grew. Nothing but air where it had stood now... "The stone soldier is turned to dust!" As her opponent shuddered against the combined force of the wind and attack, she had to laugh. Interesting how 'expert mode' didn't seem to hold as much force as it had against the 'mutt' the night before... If it had, she'd have long since knocked Yugi off the side of the wall... Oh well. "What now?" she taunted, manic grin in place as she stared her opponent down. "What's your next move? There's no card in the world that can defeat the Ultimate Dragon!" Not a single one could do it! And that was a fact...

 

Not a one... As she continued to laugh, her opponent merely glared and grit his teeth. Gradually, the laughter died down, much like the shouts from the side had ages before. "It's my turn," Yugi was shouting, eyes set into a determined stare. "And I'll bet my life on this card!" His life? She merely smirked at that, continuing her blank and narrowed stare. Useless... Draw any card, any card at all, not a single one would save him! His life bet would be made- "Hehehehe..." Why the hell was he laughing this time! Her smirk was replaced by a small frown, and her opponent's face quickly broke into a grin. "Kaiba," the boy stated, chuckling all the while as her expression dropped. "I just drew the ultimate card..." What! "See for yourself," he shouted, pulling the disk back. "I'll make this my main monster... And play it in attack mode!" The disk was thrown out, and before her eyes came what appeared to be a tiny ball of fur with enormous eyes.

 

...It couldn't even come close to being intimidating. Wait... W..What..? She stared incredulously, blinking a few times. A joke... That had to be a joke... Ku..Kuriboh! In attack mode! 300 attack points made it the weakest monster in the game..! "Gh... Haha...Hahahahaha!" She attempted to laugh, to make this a joke. It had to be, it had... But why! Why of all things! "Grgh... Yugi," she forced out, gritting her teeth and finally banishing all thoughts of looking at the situation humorously. This play... "It's your right to give up... But to play KURIBOH?" she shouted, face twisting into a wide-eyed scowl. "The piece of trash that is the weakest card in the entire game, the card that no one ever even bothers to put in their deck! WHY?" she shouted, fists clenched. "Don't even think of treating this game as a joke!" Her opponent merely snorted under her shouts, calmly smirking in response. How dare he... How dare he...

 

"You're wrong Kaiba," he stated, voice somehow making it across the windy stage. "This is my trump card... And it will beat your dragon!" Impossible... That thing, beat Blue-Eyes? It couldn't beat anything, let alone the most powerful monster in existence! As she stared in shock, the boy across merely pointed his monster forward. Serious... He was serious..! She should be laughing at this, but why the hell did she suddenly feel cold... "Here I go," he shouted, waving a hand over the field. "But before that... I play the Multiply Card!" WHAT! She stared in shock, watching as the single Kuriboh abruptly began to divide in two, the two dividing into four, and within seconds...

 

"Th...There's hundreds of them..." And they were still going..!

 

Yugi smirked, and the air continued to fill with more and more 'Kuriboh' duplicates. "That's right," he stated, Seto merely watching in silence, attempting to grasp how one of her dueldisks, now matter how powerful, could emulate the number of kuriboh appearing before them. "Multiply duplicates monsters with 500 attack points or less... Hehehehe..." What the hell was he doing... What the hell was he planning with this... "You're right," Yugi continued, crossing his arms as the kuriboh swarm continued to grow. "This is a low level monster, with little attack power at all. But don't take it too lightly," he added, smirk widening to eerie proportions. "It has hidden powers which can overwhelm monsters stronger than even yours!" An idiot... A moron... It couldn't possibly be...

 

"You're a fool," she roared, snapping herself out of her shock. This meant nothing... Nothing! "For my Ultimate Dragon more opponents only mean more corpses!" This changed nothing... Nothing, regardless of the effect the pathetic hairballs had! "ATTACK," she shouted, dragon charging it's strike with all three heads. " _ULTIMATE BURST_!" The field was filed with light for a moment, only for a number of kuriboh holograms to invade even her field in the resulting explosion. "What..!" Shit...

 

Shit! These things were multiplying too fast to... "That's right," Yugi stated, face hidden behind the wall of kuriboh. "Multiply remains in effect far longer than one turn... And the moment it touches the enemy, or gets hit, Kuriboh explodes, leaving no damage to my lifepoints! Which means," he continued, Seto's face growing pale as the boy said this. "That your Ultimate Dragon can't get to me OR my cards!" Gh... Wretched little things... She watched as the poor excuses for cotton balls continued to appear, easily replacing the ones lost in the attack. More and more and more... Like a virus, or even just a bacterial scum... Yugi chuckled at her shock, continuing as it came to his turn. "Hehehehe... My Kuriboh-Multiply combo won't stop until you destroy them all," he stated, Seto narrowing her eyes in response. "Of course... If you can wipe them all out," the boy was adding with a dark grin, "Then you can go ahead and kill me! But first," he shouted, Seto's eyes widening as her opponent continued. "I'll play my second trump card!" Second..! Damn it how many sets did he have on hand! "Here goes," he shouted, the kuriboh in front of him floating aimlessly as he shouted. "A three-part combo to destroy the three-headed dragon!" The cards were flipped around, and as each one was called out she found herself shaking just slightly. The wind was feeling more and more rough, her exhaustion catching up to her...

 

_'Living Arrow'_ was first, Yugi was shouting. ' _It lets me play one of my spells on your monsters! And because you like polymerization so much...'_ Voices were becoming dimmer, and her eyes stared wide and horrified as the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon was fused against its will. The ear-splitting roar pierced through the wind itself, dragon writhing in pain... "You... Y-You combined the Mammoth Graveyard with my dragon," she roared, watching as the monster began to decay from within. Blue-Eyes was light... Mammoth Graveyard was dark, a corpse! Merging light with darkness, matter with anti-matter, life with death...

 

They'd both die! "The tables have turned Kaiba," shouted Yugi, Seto's eyes not moving from her monster. Rotting away... Falling to pieces before her eyes... Becoming nothing, nothing... "The Mammoth had 1200 attack points," Yugi was saying, Seto ignoring his words as she ran over a solution, any solution in her mind. Anything... 1200... This meant that the dragon would lose 1200 each turn. Negate Attack could only block monster attacks, it did nothing against this..! "Well Kaiba," Yugi was shouting, the woman across from him slowly turning back with a growl. "Now you're the one losing!"

 

_'This is what happens to people who lose Seto._ ' Only this time she wasn't going to be the one paying for it, was she... Shouts from the side pounded through her ears. The wind howled and pushed against her, threatening to knock her to the ground as it had her briefcase. Holograms of these god-damned Kuriboh scum blocked her view of everything around her... She couldn't lose... She couldn't lose!

 

"It's not over," she forced out, eyes narrowed. Never over... It couldn't be over, not if Mokuba was to... " _IT'S NOT OVER YET,_ " she roared, sending her rotting and pained dragon forward. "ATTACK, ULTIMATE DRAGON," she shouted, regardless of how pointless the situation was. " _ULTIMATE BURST!_ " The dragon's attack had decreased, but it had no effect anyways.

 

Minimal damage was done to the wall of kuriboh, and as she stared forward across the field she breathed heavily. "Give up Kaiba," Yugi was saying with that smug smirk that she wanted nothing more than to rip of his face. "As long as my kuriboh minefield is here, your big, flashy attacks can't do a thing!" Vermin... Scum... Ultimate dragon was getting weaker, it couldn't make it through the wall... And because of the number of cards used in the fusion she couldn't play anything more... "I'll draw one card," Yugi was saying from across from her, the woman narrowing her eyes in a weak attempt to stare her opponent down. "And end my turn. Kaiba," the boy continued, Seto stumbling slightly behind the kuriboh wall as her dragon seemed to moan in pain. "This... Is Checkmate."

 

_'This is checkmate,'_ she had said that day, and if she hadn't...

 

Rotting...

 

She stared at the great dragon before her, watching it rot into an emulsified sludge on the ground. Once white shimmering scales were effectively a murky brown-gray, the dragon sitting at the ground rather than hovering proudly in the air. She couldn't lose... No! She couldn't lose, not again... Her locket dangled around her neck, pulling around her throat as the wind tugged at it. Not again... If she lost, who would watch Mokuba.. Who would...

 

_'N-Nii-sama,'_ he'd said that day, somehow clinging to the facade she held. ' _Nii-sama,_ ' he'd screamed as she looked at him through the screen, fingers playing across the button controlling the holograms of the duel box. ' _Help me... Help me..! I'm... I'm your brother aren't I..?_ ' Suddenly, she wasn't standing on the tower, surrounded by a swarming and thick wall of kuriboh anymore. Her body was there but in her eyes was another sight all together as they widened with fear. The tower, the wind, the noise, none of it existed. Nothing but darkness, herself...

 

And the large and magnificent white dragon that was slowly rotting to mush. One head seemed bowed, as though crying but it had no eyes from which to cry. The other attempted to roar in pain, but without a throat or a lower jaw, all it could do was writhe its head and attempt a gurgled snarl. The third head couldn't even move, glued to its body by the mush that the muscles it once had beneath those proud white scales. Wings were rotting to nothing... Bones could be seen, muscles and tendons... And amid all of this, as the center of the beast began to rot, she could see through the great dragon's ribs. A hand reached out...

 

And behind the bones, regardless of the flesh dripping past them, she could still make out a head of long black hair in the darkness. " _NEE-SAMA_!" came Mokuba's cry, and through the acidic and dissolving body she could see the boy attempt to reach further. No... No no no no...!

 

" _MOKUBA!_ " That wasn't her who had called... Instead someone else... Someone else whose voice sounded eerily similar, too similar to be falsified. Seto watched, shocked into complete silence as another her, a smaller one... The one she'd been years before, that day when everything had gone wrong...

 

It was winter... The snow had been falling, and the tree was there, and as they looked around they had seen nothing but the truck...

 

" _MOKUBA_ ," her younger self shouted, reaching forward as her brother's shouts were drowned out by collapsing flesh, the heads of the Blue-Eyes white dragon finally falling over the middle and leaving nothing but dissolving bones. " _NO! NOOOOO!_ " The beast before her melted to nothingness, the ooze seeping away and resembling little more than a puddle. Even the skeleton became nothing but dust... Nothing but grains of sand blown into the wind...

 

She did this...

 

Seto looked at her hand, eyes wide with terror. She did this... _SHE DID THIS._

 

... Her hand was beginning to melt away, and as she brought them to her face she realized that that wasn't the only part. Dust and bone... That was all they were, dust and bone and now that Mokuba was gone it was her turn... "WHY!" shouted the other version of herself, the girl turning on her older counterpart with a vicious snarl. "WHY DIDN'T YOU HELP HIM!" She couldn't answer, frozen in fear and despair both as she continued to grow weak. "CAN'T YOU EVEN PUT YOUR LIFE ON THE LINE," the girl shouted, eyes wide with rage as she managed to instill fear into a woman who was at least twice her own height. "EVEN A DOG DID BETTER THAN YOU!" she raged on, fists clenched tightly as the shouts echoed about her. "SO WHY DIDN'T YOU, WHO SWORE TO PROTECT HIM, HELP H YOURSELF! WHY DIDN'T YOU DO ANYTHING!" No... No... She shut her eyes, squeezing them tight. NO! This couldn't be, this couldn't...

 

She hadn't lost Mokuba yet, she hadn't...

 

He wasn't gone... " _Oi,_ " came a shout from 'elsewhere', the woman still grimacing as her eyes remained tightly shut. " _Didn't you come for a reason, S... KAIBA?_ " Who was that...

 

"DON'T JUST STAND THERE!” ordered the voice, Seto's breathing labored as she felt herself continue to almost sink away. Gone... Gone... They were gone... "IT AIN'T OVER YET!" Not over...

 

Eyes flung open, and she was again on the tower. The wind was pounding at her sides and the kuriboh continued to fly about aimlessly. Her coat barely kept her warm and her locket was tugging around her neck as though pulling her to a gallows. Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon was almost completely dissolved... It had only 900 attack points now, the same as her own 'life'... Her turn had been skipped over. By this point her opponent would be a fool not to attack... Seto's eyes fell, neither to an expression of fear nor of hate. She was here for a reason... The woman grabbed her pendant, gripping it tightly as her eyes closed over. A reason that she could not forget, not ever... Mokuba.

 

She turned, a light and confused frown in place as she stared past the wall of Kuriboh. Someone had shouted to her. Someone had shouted, and not with anger or fear... Yugi's 'friends' had mostly turned on the blond with confused stares... The blond however had a confident if not worried smile in place, and she recalled his short 'cheer' with confusion. Why...

 

She stared, turning back to face the field. Why did he do that... She didn't need his help! She didn't need anyone to help! Her turn had been skipped over... Looking across the board, she found herself watching as the wall of Kuriboh was abruptly banished by their controller. It wasn't over... Never over but all the same, she thought as her logical side came to the forefront. All the same...

 

It was close. And the mutt... His words would have no effect on this. They were only words after all, nothing more nothing less. She stood alone, she fought alone... Besides. As 'she herself' had said...

 

' _Even a dog did better than you._ ' She didn't need to look into that statement to know what 'she' had meant.

 

"Elven Knight," her opponent was shouting, the call only dimly heard over the sound of the wind and her own rushing blood. Through rotting bones and slime emulated by her duel disk she could see the celtic guard grip his sword with a nod, ready for battle. "ATTACK THE ULTIMATE DRAGON!" 1400, taking down 900... One of the heads toppled to the ground win the elf's wake, and she stared at it dimly before looking across at her opponent. Over...

 

It was over...

 

"...Yugi," she began, faded voice somehow making it across. She didn't want to cheat. She didn't want to lose either though. Only one thing... One thing to do, to make sure that one way or another it was fixed...

 

' _Put your life on the line,_ ' she'd told herself. She caused this... Mokuba was gone because of her. If she couldn't get to him...

 

"The game has only just begun..." Her arms hung limply at her sides, and though her eyes were narrowed they were dim and almost soulless in appearance. "I lost 500 points from that attack.. So," she began, barely holding the disguised voice by this point, "Each of these bricks on the ground will represent 100 of those points." The wind continued to swirl, but rather than picking up it instead died down. "I will move back as many bricks as I have lost lifepoints," she continued, stepping backward as she counted mentally. "I lost 500 points... In other words!" she shouted, voice and expression both betraying her otherwise desperate move. If she couldn't save him, then what worth did she have for him in this world? She'd said it herself... Hadn't she? "I'll move back five spaces." One... Two...

 

Across from her Yugi's eyes were widening with realization, and shouts from the side held the same reaction. Three... Four...

 

' _Oh my god,'_ came Anzu's shout from the side, Seto ignoring it. ' _That means...'_ One step left, and without hesitation she took it, stepping up and backward, unflinchingly as the wind howled.

 

Five.

 

As she stood at the top of the tower wall, she refused to look anywhere else than toward her opponent. This castle... It was built into a cliff-face... She'd noticed it long ago. Forty meters high, at least...

 

_'Put your life on the line..._ ' she had said...

 

"I have nothing more to lose," she stated, tone frighteningly calm in comparison to her words throughout the entire duel as a whole. Put her life on the line... And she would. Gladly. "If you hit me again," she continued, ignoring the shouts as they raised in volume, "Then you win this game. And I die." And she would gladly do so if it was all there was left. She couldn't reach Pegasus if she lost. Mokuba would be gone... Briefly, her eyes drifted over to the same blond from before, the teen's own eyes wide with fear. ...Hn. 'Even a dog did better'... Then... if that was the case...

 

As the wind swirled around her, she could recall something that someone had told her many years before, her own thoughts vanishing as the shouts continued to fill the air...

 

_...Don't look down..._

 


	14. Revenge Before Reason

Watching the battle, Katsuya had to admit to one glaring fact that he could no longer ignore.

 

Personally he was beginning to mentally kick himself for not seeing it sooner. It was literally right in front of him after all. No one else saw it- that would have been pretty weird otherwise, and they'd have definitely reacted. However as he stared across the balcony and swallowed back a comment there was no doubt about it. These holograms...

 

Were not supposed to look like what he saw.

 

Not by a long shot, that was for sure. Ryu-Kishin had been a hulking mass of moving 'liquid' metal and at his flaming attack toward Feral Imp's motionless card he had heard a piercing and inhuman screech that he wasn't even sure could be emulated by a computer. Curse of dragon's own blast of red-black flames had melted the armour right off his opponent in retaliation, before the burns set a now scaled and revolting looking Ryu-Kishin ablaze, flames lasting for a few moments before allowing it the peace that was death. Swordstalker had summoned in his place, and the ethereal spirit of Ryu-Kishin had been enough to drive a figurative blade of ice through his own heart. Ghosts were one thing... Zombies, mummies, and other things. Ghosts of god damned ' _god demon_ 's were another thing all together. Swordstalker charged...

 

Only to be taken down by the Dark Magician, who gave a humoured and dark smirk as he switched places with the dragon VIA an obvious 'tag-team' switch out. Briefly, as the magician charged up his magic he had heard chuckling...

 

He'd thought these were just lights. Just some intricate tricks that Seto had put into the dueldisks. Well done if not obsessive voice acting with overly accurate details.

 

He was quickly proven wrong.

 

Swordstalker vanished in a blast of black lightning, but as the disk was pulled back the hovering and almost stone-like cards remained in place. La-Jinn in turn appeared and taunted the Dark Magician into attack before taking refuge in his lamp, the clawed golden device giving off loud and aggravating clicks as it scuttled across the ground. Dark Magician's face visibly grew pale, regardless of already odd complexion, when Curse of Dragon's piercing roar hit the air under his own comrade's attack. Inside the card however, the dragon could do nothing.

 

He'd thought the others were just ignoring it. Hiding it like he was, regardless of their pale and anxious faces. Maybe it was because of his apparently 'recent' eye-for-detail... Was it just him, or was Seto's 'acting' fooling even herself out there, her obvious exhaustion somehow holding no effect over her at all? La-Jinn burned another card... Three swords hovered in the air before vanishing into very real looking flames. No one seemed to really notice all of this, so maybe it was just something they weren't talking about, like he was. When Eye of truth came into play however, he had to stare.

 

Blue-Eyes image sat across one of the cards...

 

But why the hell wouldn't Seto have played that card if she had it? That was, without a doubt, her 'favourite', to a pretty damn obsessive point... So why the hell didn't she summon it! Yugi seemed unaffected by this reveal after only a few moments. There was obviously something there that he'd missed, something that Yugi knew... The battle went on. The Ancient Lamp was skewered by the Magic Boxes Yugi had cast into play, and as the Magician exited his, the same dark smirk was in place.

" _Ah-ah-ah_ ," the Magician was saying, Katsuya's eyes widening momentarily as he heard the voice. They..

 

They'd heard that right? They'd heard...

 

Dark Magician pointed his staff forward, and as he watched it again seemed that only he had seen those things. La-Jinn was electrocuted violently by the black lighting, the smell of smoking and burnt flesh accompanying the already acrid smell of smoke as he vanished into a pile of oddly coloured dust. There was no way Seto would have programmed something that intense for a card she didn't use right? He had continued to watch in silence as he pondered that, and Saggi the dark clown was sent out next... Same with Gaia from Yugi's side. The horseman stood valiantly as he was called to attack, hoofs clacking across the stone ground as he urged his horse to charge the clown before it. Regardless of being skewered by a drilling blade however, regardless of the lance embedded in its abdomen, the clown merely laughed in response. " _Nyahahahaha... HAHAHAHAHAHAAAA !_ " Dark, poisonous smoke seeped from the clown's wounds, Katsuya coughing as the clouds seeped into Yugi's side of the field. How...

 

How was he the only one seeing this? His vision swam slightly, the poisonous clouds floating through the air as he continued to choke. What the hell was going on, that stuff wasn't seriously... Affecting him was it? "J-Jonouchi?" Bakura asked worriedly, turning to him from the field. Over on the towers the horse had been the first to fall, its rider soon to follow in the poisoned air. The Dark Magician knelt on the ground, struggling to breath and holding to life only a moment before death finally claimed him. In the clouds of smoke, their bodies quickly evaporated into nothingness... "Jonouchi," the albino asked again, tapping his shoulder hesitantly. "Are you alright?" He nodded, breathing deeply as he looked over the others. Fine... He was fine... Whatever that 'poison' was had him feeling pretty damn crappy but...

 

Another cough, and he put his hand against the railing to steady himself. "Are you sure man?" Honda was saying with a slight frown, Anzu giving a similar expression from beside the teen. "You look almost as pale as Kaiba over there." Honda, only snow could be whiter than Seto-chan now... That and Bakura. The blond gave another nod, scowling slightly. Honestly, it was nothing!

 

(Besides, would they really believe him if he said that he was being poisoned by Crush Card Virus?)

 

"I said I'm fine! It's nothin' alright? Prolly jus' from that cold I got yesterday..." As if to support this fact, he sniffed before turning back to the duel. In the clouds of poisonous smoke Saggi had continued to laugh, eventually bleeding out and dissolving into the black and endless clouds. "Damn," he muttered under his breath as the others whispered amongst themselves. The poison had since faded slightly, resembling more of a thin curtain hovering over Yugi's side of the field. "Talk abou' biological weapons..." Now that that had happened Yugi was left with spells and low level monsters... Likely against Blue Eyes. Silver Fang was summoned to Yugi's defense, the white wolf growling nervously as he paced on the spot. In the end he had taken a defensive crouch, before the Battle Ox was summoned from Seto's own side. ' _Axe Crusher,_ ' Seto had cried, the enormous minotaur rushing forward. The axe had cleaved Silver Fang clean in two, but it wasn't a pretty sight. From head to tail the wolf had been cut, both halves falling to the ground on a mess of blood and organs before disappearing into the poisonous fog on Yugi's side of the field. Next came Griffor... The bear-like beast appeared in its armoured shell, and after a long and golden horn grew from its head the beast had given a low and chuckling growl to match its master's apparent amusement. The 'card' behind it that had summoned the horn ground itself into dust, and as the horn itself glowed brilliantly Griffor continued to growl darkly. Thunder charged from the tip of the horn, shooting directly forward to pierce the battle ox's heart.

 

" _Hrnrrrrrrrr..._ " With a weak growl the beast had clutched his chest, collapsing to his knees in pain. Finally he toppled forward, and within a few seconds the ox vanished completely. He didn't believe this... How the hell was it even possible, was it some kind of crazy mind trick? Hell he could see the blood literally pooling in the middle of the stage! Was he losing it somehow, and these vicious images of the monsters a sign of that? The sounds, the scents...

 

Everything? Was this some kind of twisted nightmare that he'd managed to get stuck in? Of course, he added as an afterthought, not all of the things were brutal. ' _Gift of the Mystical Elf_ ', Seto's spell, had been activated, a young robed woman appearing before them in a soft glowing ray of light. In her hands was a ball of that very same glow, and though he doubted Seto could see it, the elf turned to its master with a calm and genuine smile before tossing the orb forward. It floated into the disk, the elf vanishing in a shower of white dust to grant Seto some life points. And then...

 

Blue Eyes had appeared. "She... He finally did it," he muttered, likely unheard even in the silent shock of the others. The others were probably just staring because Blue Eyes would easily put Yugi in a rough spot. And honestly, sights and sounds aside he knew that too. With what was before him now though... He didn't know how 'realistic' the monsters appearances were compared to what the others saw, they probably weren't close to the gore he'd seen in the past few moments. He had to say though, the blond thought with a nervous swallow, unable to look away from the creature- his figurine couldn't even hold a candle to the beast that hovered protectively around Seto's form.

 

Hell it didn't even hold a candle to what he'd seen when he fought against Seto the night before, how did that even work? Maybe it was because of the darkness? How did that even make sense though? Huge and white the dragon's scales glimmered, even in the light of a clouded and recently set sun. An earth-shattering roar came through the area, and it felt almost as though that in itself would knock him over. It hovered in the air and each beat of its wings joined with the fierce winds in blowing the crowds back slightly, blue eyes focused on the opponent's field completely. With Seto's command the beast had attacked... Griffor hid in his shell only to be fried into nothingness, a small scrap of his horn left behind in the resulting explosion. And even that had faded away...

 

Still, the battle continued. The Soldier of Stone was summoned in defense mode for Yugi's sake... Even the soldier knew he was doomed, staring across at the dragon with a nervous gaze. Nonetheless however, he took a protective stance in front of his master, its gaze shifting from fear to grim determination. Rather than destroying the stone golem however, it quickly became apparent as to what Seto was doing, the woman waving her hand and activating a card that hovered before her.

 

_'POLYMERIZE!'_ An immense vortex appeared behind the three Blue-Eyes white dragons as the last two appeared on the field. The three dragons growled expectantly, vortex growing larger and larger behind their summoner. Each one was pulled inside, giving a last roar that sounded neither pleased nor

disappointed about the current situation. They vanished completely into the whirlwind, sounds of thunder erupting from the void as it continued to churn. The vortex shrank, shifting from its circular appearance to something else... And when the swirling winds finally came to a halt he had to stare. It was immense... Huge, larger than the Blue-Eyes before it by a long shot. Each head was easily his own size, and the scales and armour of the dragon had become more defined and battle ready than that of its predecessors. Enormous wings only beat once and the wind increased three-fold in intensity. Katsuya stared upward, eyes wide as one of the heads turned to stare in return. A single black marking marred the brows of the dragon's three heads, and aside from that the scales were a blinding pure white in colour. This...

 

This was...

 

Blue eyes continued to stare directly at him, before the head finally gave a snort and turned back to the field. Dimly, he could hear the others. _'Was this Kaiba's plan all along?'_ Honda was muttering from the side, also staring with shock. ' _Three heads,_ ' Bakura was saying as they stared. The dragon merely ignored them, regaining its protective stance in front of Seto and seemingly hovering in mid-air without even bothering to flap its wings more than thrice. _'4500 attack points...'_ Hell, no wonder it was so big...

 

The first attack was made, but rather than strike the golem that stood between it and its prize the great dragon had simply snorted. The heads turned to each other, as though conversing amongst themselves. Before Katsuya could even give a thought to how something that was one monster could do that, the left-most one shot a small and weakly powered beam off to the side. The card struck burned into nothingness in an instant, reduced to mere ashes... But the arm the golem had used to defend the card was gone as well, as though to prove to the stone giant just how wide the gap of power was between it and the dragon before it. As if to prove just what madness it took to challenge it but regardless of such, the golem did not move...

 

Not even as its master faltered, gritting his teeth and staring at the ground in worry. No... He clenched his fists, taking a glance at Seto and her enormous dragon before turning to Yugi. No... He didn't want to pick a side, but god damn it, he sure as hell didn't want them to just give up and forfeit! And if no one said anything Yugi was liable to do just that! That was worse...

 

Yugi continued to stare at his deck, time for his turn ticking away quicker and quicker. "COME ON!" he finally shouted, the others jumping at his sudden words. They couldn't just end this on a forfeit damn it! "YUGI," he continued, the teen turning to him with wide eyes as he heard his friend's voice for the first time during the entire match. Katsuya kept his gaze as far from the dragon and from Seto as possible, swallowing as he continued. He could feel the dragons staring at him... It was unnerving, frightening even. But... If they lost here without trying... If they lost simply because of their fear...

 

Then how the hell could they say they were worth the lives at risk?

 

"WE'RE ALMOST AT PEGASUS' CASTLE," he roared, eye wide with determination rather than shock this time around. "WE WORKED HARD TO GET HERE!" Harder than anything... Mokuba had been snatched before their eyes, Yugi's grandfather was trapped in a camera that was right in their hands... And even though they were all technically on the same side, they couldn't just give up. He wasn't picking a side damn it... And while that meant not rooting for a single person to win, it also meant not wanting a single person to lose! "IF YOU GIVE UP NOW," he continued, gritting his teeth. There was only one real enemy here. Only one... "WE'LL NEVER GET IN!"

 

"Remember your promise to your grandfather," Anzu was shouting from the side, joining in the cheers with an encouraging stare. "You said you'd beat Pegasus!" That was the real enemy. Katsuya stopped shouting with the words Anzu had given, eyes narrowing dangerously. Pegasus was the target... Not each other! They had to remember that... Regardless of what was going on! Focusing on the match once more, Yugi was standing firm again and drawing his next card. He'd regained his resolve, that much was sure. But resolve alone was not enough to save the Stone Giant from being reduced to mere dust in the face of Blue-Eye's ultimate attack, the blinding light forcing Katsuya to close his eyes until the blast calmed down to reveal nothing but a card-filled field. Not at all. All the same though...

 

It wasn't the end. By far it wasn't the end. Kuriboh was summoned, and he had to say, for the 'weakest monster in the game', it was being pretty bad-ass. In fact the moment those things opened their mouths to scream against Blue-Eyes' attack he had to shudder; even the weakest monster held true to the word 'monster' it seemed. Most of the Kuriboh were too furred to really see anything but their eyes of course... But underneath that they had razor sharp, shark like teeth, and a good majority were baring them at the immense dragon before them, accompanied by the sounds of low and almost whispering growls. He had to hand it to them...

 

For all that they were up against, they were pretty damn courageous. Not to mention, he noted with a slight frown, not duplicating anymore. After they had about fifty they'd called it quits, the 'Multiply' card only spitting out a few more Kuriboh from it's portal after Blue-Eyes' attack. Those that were there swarmed the field completely however, blocking Yugi, portions of the dragon... And even Seto herself from view. Not all of her though. He could barely make out her face, but nonetheless it was there. As Katsuya looked through the wall of kuriboh, he squinted in an attempt to see the woman clearly. It wasn't much that he could make out, but from what he could tell... She was still eerily pale compared to usual...

 

And while she might have completely shut down any immediate threats of what the doctor had predicted, he still couldn't be too sure. "Damn it," he muttered, a glance at the others telling him that they couldn't see much as well. "Can't they just move-" He cut himself off, watching as a few of the kuriboh turned to look at them. W-Wait... Wait that couldn't be right, these things couldn't hear him! And if they could, then damn it he really was going crazy wasn't he.

 

Apparently they really had heard his words however... And as if to respect his wishes, they moved back toward the other side of the field just as Yugi finished making his move, giving the blond one last look before turning on the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon and continuing with their growls. Living Arrow... Plus Polymerization... Plus...

 

Katsuya's eyes widened as the arrow shot forth from the card, carrying with it the second spell at its tail end. The arrow pierced Blue-Eyes directly in the center of its chest, each head turning on the weapon in question with silent stares. Suddenly however, their stares were turned toward the sky, mouths hanging open in what Katsuya could only assume was shock. In the center of the field hovered an enormous vortex, similar in appearance to the one that had fused the three Blue-Eyes together. This one however, did not elicit the same neutral screams from before. Katsuya watched in silent horror as both the immense three headed dragon and Yugi's own skeletal mammoth were pulled inside, each monster giving off their own screeches and shouts of horror. Loud and endless roars of a fear that he didn't even think the dragon could have, and bellows of pain from a mere skeleton. How the hell a skeleton could shout was beyond him, but what the hell did he care! The thing that was happening... The 'portal' that the monsters had been pulled into... He didn't get a good feeling from it at all.

 

And still the vortex swirled, growing darker and darker in the center of the sky. Larger and larger it grew, before finally subsiding and re-forming back at Seto's side of the field. The winds vanished... And in its wake the Blue-Eyes was left seemingly untouched. For a moment at least. Blue-Eyes gave a low groan of pain, the beast coming to land on the tower on all four legs. How it could fit was beyond him, but it was by far the last thing on his mind as the blond stared at the dragon and swallowed. It's immense heads were bowed toward the ground, and for a moment he was unsure of what was happening... It merely clutched itself with its foreleg, each head breathing heavily and painfully. And then Yugi explained, just as the Blue-Eyes showed him what was wrong... "I mixed Mammoth Graveyard with your monster," he stated with a frown, the mammoth's skeletal head and legs suddenly bursting from within the dragon's middle with a loud and nauseating squelch. The dragon's ribs and front were split open in an ear-splitting screech, and as Katsuya stared in frozen horror it took all he could not to reach up and cover his ears before the cries died down. "By fusing an undead 'Dark' monster with the light Ultimate dragon," Yugi continued, the dragon rearing on their hind legs as Mammoth Graveyard attempted to untangle it's freed limbs from the beast's mass, "A deadly organ rejection is caused... The body becomes unstable," he explained, Katsuya watching as the dragon's scales slowly began to melt off to reveal delicate skin and muscle underneath. They clattered to the ground in clumps, most still attached to patches of skin themselves before they began to... Melt. Into a disgusting, murky grey substance that he could scarcely describe. "...And it starts to decompose..." Rotting.

 

The dragon was... Rotting. The skin began to literally slide off the body in chunks, the mammoth trapped in the dragon's chest giving off another moan. It's host's heads were held almost level with Yugi's own, as though pleading the teen end his play, destroy the mammoth and free them regardless of any pride they held. Claws scraped against the side of the field, wings hung limp at the sides as muscles and blood practically poured from the wounds they were receiving... The Blue-Eyes was literally rotting. Yugi was winning, that was great. Wonderful even, it had to be! He was winning in a fair fight, no one forfeiting no one cheating... He shouldn't be upset, he told himself, silently shaking his head. He shouldn't... Hell, they were fighting for the same thing, weren't they? Watching that dragon rot away right before him however...

 

Katsuya attempted to do the math in his head, watching as Seto stared at her dragon with frozen horror as well. The dragon had what... Forty-five hundred points? And it was losing twelve hundred each turn... So how many turns did that leave it? Hell, what did that even mean if the dragon had already rotted away to this much? What fell off and clattered to the ground continued to melt in the seemingly poisonous presence of the mammoth skeleton, the ooze pooling on the field at the beast's feet. The dragon's three heads each coughed up large amounts of blood and phlegm as they attempted to give a roar, their failing muscles and organs refusing to give them the chance as all that came out was little more than a low and crying moan. Seto wasn't moving... Wasn't moving from the shocked stiff position she stood in, staring wordlessly at her rotting dragon. He frowned, mouth hanging slightly open as he stared across at the balcony 'towers'. Yugi was also waiting in silence... One minute...

 

Two minutes...

 

Finally, the blond's friend merely frowned drew a card, the time for his opponent's turn passing over in an instant. Aside from that he remained silent, holding a steady and almost glaring vigil... Waiting for the dragon to continue dissolving... (he could see the sinews of tendons hanging by a thread, the round eye-balls of each dragon, one of them losing them to gravity and rot already...)... Waiting...

 

She still wasn't moving. Just staring blankly and while he didn't think the others had really noticed he was getting worried. Why... She wasn't like this... She couldn't be like this! Her brother's life was at stake, she couldn't... But still...

 

Why wasn't she moving? Her shoulders were no longer held back in the 'proud' stance she always held, and the woman's eyes were wide and blank as they continued to stare at Blue-Eyes decomposing form... Staring... Simply staring... The locket hung limply around her neck, battered by the winds completely... Why... Why wasn't she doing anything! Damn it...

 

Katsuya grit his teeth, before moving forward and past the others with what could almost be called a growl. Damn it! It couldn't end like this... He didn't want it to happen to Yugi and he sure as hell didn't want it to happen to Seto-chan! The others blinked as he leaned against the wall, hands cupped as he prepared to shout. "OIIIII!" The others turned, blinking. Yugi stared as well, frowning slightly. He wasn't looking at Yugi... The others were likely wondering why, but whatever. Hell Yugi was going to win, he'd have to be a complete moron to not believe that! But he didn't want it to end like this. He didn't want it to end with a series of forfeited turns. He didn't know what was going on but... "DIDN'T YOU COME FOR A REASON SE-... KAIBA," he shouted, watching as received no reaction from his target. Of course, the moment he'd said that the others really tensed... They knew he was looking at Seto but... Not cheering her on. Yugi in particular seemed to be looking at him as though he'd grown an extra head for a moment, but with a quick look of realization instead gave an encouraging smirk. Yeah. Yeaaaaa he kinda got it...

 

He guessed.

 

Sort of.

 

"DON'T JUST STAND THERE," he shouted ignoring the taps on his shoulder. She couldn't just give in like this damn it. Wake up... Wake up, and listen to him this time! "IT AIN'T OVER YET!" Come on Seto-chan... Move. Move... Do something... Anything! And...

 

She moved.

 

A quick jerk of the head, and suddenly the look of sheer horror shifted back into a steady and determined glare. Briefly, Katsuya grinned, before quickly toning it down to a more serious smile. Alright... She was back. Time to pipe down again. The smile didn't even falter when Seto herself actually looked his way, visibly confused. Heh... He merely continued to look back, even as the confusion visibly increased for a split second. Hidden again moments after as she turned back to the duel. So she didn't know what he was up to... At least this way the duel would go properly-

 

"Jonouchi?" He finally turned to the others, smile replaced with a slightly questioning stare as the others looked at him oddly.

 

"Hn?" He blinked, watching as the three others stared with raised eyebrows. Oh. Right... They were probably wondering what the hell was going on... Ahhhhh... "What is it?"

 

Honda looked as though he'd be first- He was interrupted by Anzu instead, though given her fairly dumbfounded stare that wasn't actually surprising.. "...That..." She coughed, eyes flicking over to where Seto and Yugi were fighting. Definitely confused, definitely wondering... "What was that?"

 

"Yeah," Honda said with a slight frown, looking equally as confused as the others. For another instant it looked as though he wouldn't say anything, but in the end he continued. "I... I mean, I know we're all gunning for Pegasus but..." He coughed, before attempting to piece together what he was going to say yet again. "You know what. I can't even find the words to describe that question so... I'm going to go with Anzu's- What was that?" He stared, watching as Bakura nervously scratched his head. What to say, what to say...

 

He inwardly groaned, trying to figure out just what it was he was going to say. In the end, it appeared that Bakura's words covered him more. "Eh... N..Not to be rude but..." As Katsuya and the others looked at the albino, their friend nervously took a breath. "Well, Yugi is winning..." He shrugged, looking decidedly torn about whether or not he should actually be saying this. "But I don't quite think it would be fair if the loss came out of Kaiba constantly forfeiting his turns..."

 

At this the others blinked, before Honda changed his expression of confusion into a frown. "Yeah," he muttered, turning back to the duel as Yugi shouted his turn. "That's right..." Aha! He had an excu- "At the same time though," the teen continued with a raised brow, "I never thought you of all people would be cheering for Kaiba, Jonouchi..." He gave him an odd look, narrowing his eyes. "...Are... Are you alright..?"

 

"I'm fine," he snipped, crossing his arms with a scowl. Perfectly fine, seeing things that either weren't there or just happened to be there and he was the lucky guy who got to see them... Seriously... "Geeze... I get that I cheered for the opposite side but lay off for a minute alright..." Could not... Find out what was going on...

 

Anzu put her hands in front of her, laughing nervously at the outburst. "Hey... We didn't mean anything by it Jonouchi it's just..." She frowned, lowering her hands to shrug. "Weird... I mean-"

 

_'ATTACK, ELVEN KNIGHT !_ ' " _Graaaaoaooghg-!_ " Katsuya jumped, the others frowning as he turned to look at the battle instead of listening to the others. A strangled, gurgling growl had come over the air, sounding more like a suction cup than a dragon. Right before it had been a shout... For a moment the others had attempted to restart conversation, but after looking at the damage done they instead followed his gaze with a grin. ' _Ah,_ ' they were saying, grins on their faces as the blond went pale and leaned against the wall. Damn it...

 

And here he'd thought he'd seen enough crap in his life to have an iron stomach...

 

' _Blue-Eyes lost enough power to take a hit!_ ' Yeah... He shut his eyes, wincing. Got that right... Katsuya made an effort to hold back what he'd eaten back in the tunnels as one of Blue-Eye's head-less spines twitched and spasmed violently. What with the beast having three heads, it was far from killed. But while the severed neck was at least still holding a few muscles and blood vessels in place, the head on the ground was mostly that thick grungy slime and a vicious yet pathetic looking skull. And as that as well rotted, he could hear Honda shouting behind him. _'Alright,_ ' he called, seemingly oblivious to his friend's hastily covered nervousness. ' _We have a win!'_ It wasn't dead yet though... It wasn't giving in yet. Despite only having half a body, despite the fact that it now resembled little more than a skeleton held together by fragments of rotting flesh it stood, attempting to hold what small scraps of pride it had left to the very end. " _Graooooo..._ " The roar was not a roar anymore... It wasn't even a growl. Yet somehow he could hear some distinction in the tone. It was almost mourning, crying even... And yet...

 

Something told him it wasn't because of the grievous harm it was going through right now. ' _Yugi,_ ' Seto stated quietly, the cheers cutting abruptly at the deadly serious tone of voice. Same as before she had 'spaced out', and after she'd snapped herself out of whatever daze she was in, her posture was less than it normally was. As she spoke however, the posture was regained... Yet somehow it didn't seem to be a good thing. ' _The game has only just begun..._ ' The woman was staring Yugi down with what could pass for 'soulless', maybe even dead eyes, confident pose shadowed with some other feeling that identified itself as little more than a shiver in his spine. The others as well were staring in silence... Just listening. _'I lost 500 points from that attack... Each of these bricks on the ground will be my life points...'_ What... He frowned, listening and staring as Seto continued to look toward her opponent with an empty stare. ' _I will move back as many bricks as I lose life points,_ ' she continued, Katsuya's eyes widening further in response. Five bricks?

 

He stared at the tower, counting the number along the wall as Seto began to move back. How many... These bricks were already a fairly decent size, almost half a meter square... One...

 

Two...

 

Beside him Anzu had her hands on her mouth, eyes wide as she and the others realized what 'five spaces' meant.

 

Three...

 

He as well swallowed, stopping his count when estimation told him what would happen.

 

Four...

 

"Oh my god," Anzu said with a shaking tone, Bakura and Honda both simply watching with silent horror. Their eyes widened as the wind continued to howl about them, dragon's almost gurgling cries accompanying it. "He's going to..."

 

Five.

 

"Oh _fuck_..." She was standing on the ledge of the balcony. Simply looking down to see how that kind of fall it would be made him dizzy, and fearful eyes were turned back toward the woman. The woman who was, without any fear what-so-ever, staring her opponent down and standing tall against the wind. "Oh fuck no...No no no no no..."

 

"I have nothing left to lose," Seto stated, voice gaining a large amount of confidence and volume as she spoke. God damn it... No... No... "If you hit me again," she continued, hands held to the side as if to simply accept the next attack literally with open arms, "If you win this game... I die." No... Oh fuck no...

 

NO...

 

For a brief moment, Seto's gaze was turned on them, he and the others. A narrowed stare that didn't seem angry and yet all the same...

 

Don't... _No_...

 

The woman turned back to her opponent, expression hardening as she continued. "I would gladly die for this," she spat out, the others continuing to stare. No... He shook his head, swallowing. No...

 

Finally Anzu shook her head, moving to take a position beside Katsuya against the wall. "KAIBA," she shouted, eyes wide with panic as she leaned over the side. "DON'T DO THIS!"

 

From behind the others were merely staring, unsure of what to say. "What the hell is he thinking," Honda was muttering, shaking his head in disbelief. "What the hell kind of bluff is he making, you don't do that kind of crap..! This is at least thirty meters up..!" Was that how high it was? It looked a lot longer than that...

 

Bakura as well was shaking his head, the teen growing exceedingly pale as he spoke. "But what if... What if it's not a..."

 

"S... He ain't bluffing," Katsuya stated in response to his friend's unfinished question, voice on the verge of cracking as he stared at the woman. What if it wasn't a bluff? He had a feeling he already knew... "...He's not bluffing! _YUGI_ ," he roared, eyes wide as he turned to face his friend. Who the hell cared what kind of questions he got, this... They couldn't let this happen! "YUGI SH- HE ISN'T LYING!" If Seto died... If she died because of something like this... He didn't want her to. Hell if he knew why he felt that way besides obvious comatose confessions but he didn't want... "DON'T DO IT!" They'd find another way in, hell he'd gladly play Yugi to 'give' him his five other chips provided he could get into the castle with the others. He'd pound Saruwatari into the ground, pound any guard that stood in their way to the ground, but this...

 

He would get on his knees and beg if that was what it took...

 

Just don't... "Yugi," Seto was saying, the group turning their attention back to the woman with wide and fear filled eyes. No... Don't talk, don't... "On your next turn, your real worth as a duelist will be tested..." What worth, the worth that involved not killing a person! Or some twisted honour in the reverse! What was she doing, she couldn't... She couldn't..

 

Don't... _Don't._..

 

"A duel is like two mirrors held against each other," Seto stated, eyes still unchanging. "How would you evade your own attack," she asked, arms hanging limply at her sides. "You need to be one step ahead, you need to put yourself in the mind of your opponent... Only then, when you become your opponent can you achieve victory," she continued with a blank stare. 'Victory'? What the hell kind of 'victory' would this be! Could you even call it that! This wasn't victory, please... _Don't_... "After all... Only then can you know yourself..." Don't do it... Don't do it... Please...

 

He stared with wide eyes, silently mouthing his words. Please... Please don't, he knew she didn't care about what he thought but Mokuba was... If Mokuba was freed only to find that his sister had...

 

Blue-Eyes was still rotting, and the two remaining heads turned to Kaiba with mourning cries. Though their jaws were literally falling from their hinges they still turned, curling around the woman in a final attempt to protect her from Yugi's possible attack. Why did he have a feeling... How did he just know that they understood the gravity of the situation themselves? That their cries from before were...

 

They weren't even real, they couldn't be real but... What other explanation was there? "If our positions were reversed," Seto stated, crossing her arms as she stood against the pounding winds, winds that had died considerably in the last few minutes alone. "I would push you over the edge of that wall without a second's thought. But," she continued, Katsuya still watching with wide and horrified eyes, "I didn't say I give up. It's my turn," she stated calmly, hand moving toward her disk. Damn it... Why did she have to... "And I draw this. Monster Reborn!" She hadn't even looked at the card... How did she know that was her card? The disk was pulled back, Seto somehow managing to stand unfaltering as the disk slammed against her palm. The card was placed on the side before the disk was thrown back out, and in a beam of light the monster that had never once left the field in Katsuya's eyes continued its mourning cries. "I resurrect Blue-Eyes with this," she shouted, the dragon before her giving an odd moan. From the severed neck came a blinding light, swirling endlessly from the empty hole it had left behind. It continued to spiral forward, shifting, rearranging itself into a long and serpentine form before clearing. The ankh that had appeared above the dragon to create this light vanished from view, and with it the clouds of smoke caused by both the constant attacks, poisons, and decaying flesh. The deceased head was completely repaired... And now that it could roar, it merely joined with the other decayed heads in miserable song. "Now one Blue-Eyes with normal attack points has been resurrected," Seto stated with a grim smile, the renewed head of Blue-Eyes turning to face its master in brief thanks. Mouth open, mouth close... The sound that came out wasn't a roar or a growl, but it still suited the beast quite well in his opinion.

 

" _Graooooo... Aooooo.._ " Sad...

 

It sounded so... Sad... "Unfortunately," its master continued, arms hanging at her sides once more, her still disadvantaged position seemingly holding no effect on her stance, "As a fused monster it can't attack this turn... Which makes it your turn, Yugi!" Silence filled the air... What words did they say in this situation? What did they say... He couldn't do it. Yugi wouldn't, he couldn't do that... And yet memories of Mokuba's screams of his 'penalty game', the condition of the few others that had been on the other end of the punishments came to mind. He'd say they were deserving, but... Mokuba... "DO IT YUGI," Seto roared, almost desperately, the group's eyes turned to her in silence. No... _NO NO NO NO NO!._ "SLIT MY THOAT WITH YOURCARDS!"

 

Even Yugi's own monster looked uneasy about that particular command, pulling back slightly with a grimace... Turning to his master uneasily for a moment before looking back on the great and decayed dragon before it. Yugi himself however merely stared, expression caught between horror and anger. Where was the worry? Where was the concern from his friend... _Don't do it_... God damn it Yugi, don't do it... His voice was caught in his throat as he looked toward his best friend, one of his best friends, with wide and pleading eyes. Don't do it... Please, for the love of anything that existed in the world please don't do this... "Ng..." Don't...

 

There was no hesitation in the boy's tone.

 

"I'LL DO IT KAIBA," the Dark Yugi shouted at the top of his lungs, pointing his monster forward. Those on the sidelines had no words themselves from the sheer shock of the shout, staring powerlessly and silently as the boy continued. NO... _NO_! "ELVEN KNIGHT," he commanded, the guard turning to give his master a look of horror. "ATTA- _GHk!_ "

 

Huh? Did Yugi...

 

Choke? ' _NOOOO!_ ' Yugi's body gave a violent shudder, the monster on his field dropping his blade as he looked toward the boy with worry. His body fell to his knees, hands gripping his head tightly and continuing to shake. ' _No other me,_ ' someone shouted with panicked terror, the voice distant and almost inaudible. ' _DON'T DO THIS!_ ' Yugi continued to clutch his head as he shook on the ground, before the time for the turn finally passed. Katsuya looked over to Seto, the woman's expression shifting from dull acceptance of the inevitable to a sudden unbridled determination and drive that lacked any and all anger from her previous moves. This wasn't for her... She wasn't into this. This was for...

 

"BLUE EYES," she commanded, the living head rising up to turn on the elf before it. Its jaw was clamped with grim determination, as though what it was doing was also for something other than the duel itself. "BURST STREAM!" 'Destruction' was cut off.

 

He stared, watching and wondering in silence. What did that mean? As Blue Eyes charged a beam and blasted the Elven Knight from behind, the field began to clear of the monsters completely. The last thing remaining in the flash of light was the knight's shocked face as the sudden pain struck it, before calming into a small smile. The last thing heard over the field was a loud and song-like cry that had come from the dragon's reborn head. And over the field, last rays of the setting sun had disappeared behind the horizon... Besides all that as he looked toward 'Yugi', he could see that it was the 'original'.

 

And he could see that he was in rough shape. Yugi's hands were all that kept the boy from falling over, fingers gripping the stone bricks tightly, and slowly, very slowly, he looked up toward Seto with wide and tear-filled eyes. "Ng... N..." Oh god...

 

Katsuya bolted around to the stairs, running over as the boy crumpled to the ground in complete tears. Not a word nor a glance was spared to the other on the field, the blond swallowing as he attempted to calm his friend. God-damn it... What the hell was going on with all this... What was going on! "Yugi... Yugi," he shouted, the others coming behind him just as quick.

 

Yugi shook as his friend came toward him, a hand placed on his shoulder as he cried. "Ahh... I... I couldn't do it," he forced out, shaking his head. "I couldn't... If I kept going..."

 

"It's ok Yugi..." He clutched the boy's shoulder, turning away slightly. The words were partially for himself really... All the crap going on... How did... "It's ok... It's..."

 

The boy shook his head rapidly, eyes wide and fearful. "No it's not... Kaiba-san could have died," he shouted, shaking his head as the others drew back with a partial wince. "I... I almost..."

 

Katsuya swallowed, looking at his friend with tearing eyes. The 'Dark' Yugi. That shout he'd heard... That was the 'real' Yugi... Wasn't it? That was him, stopping his other-self from landing the last hit. "I'm scared," he whispered, curling on himself as the others stood around him worriedly. "I'm scared of this game... Of the other me..! I don't... I..."

 

"You did the right thing," Anzu was whispering, pulling the boy into a hug. Any other time, and Yugi would have gone tomato red at the gesture. Instead however... "You did the right thing, it's ok..." Anzu herself was on the verge of tears as she said this, and as the others merely stared the woman

continued. "Don't cry," she whispered despite her own tears, before pulling slowly out of the hug. Yugi himself was still wiping tears out of his eyes, looking at the woman with fear and confusion both. "You're a guy aren't you," she added with a slight laugh. "Men... Men don't cry!" The boy chocked, wiping his face with a sniff.

 

"A...Anzu..." From the side they could hear a dull clattering sound as the starchips thrown to the ground were gathered. The chips had been scattered completely about the tower... And now, Seto was gathering the ten starchips, looking toward Yugi with an expression of near loathing. While Katsuya frowned at the sight however, he held his tongue. Now wasn't the time... There were more important things. Things like-

 

"You showed weakness at the end," Seto was saying almost with disgust as she moved forward with her briefcase in hand. As Katsuya tensed at the words, he continued to still bite his tongue in response. Her dueldisk was already packed inside the briefcase, and with a single movement all ten starchips were hidden away in her coat pocket. Her cards were likely already there... And still the woman continued to speak with the narrowed glare she held. "And it cost you your win... If you'd had the resolve to push me over the edge Yugi, you would have won," she continued, Katsuya gritting his teeth as he went red in response. "You would have moved on to that castle with no problems... Caring about the enemy's safety is the most moronic thing you can do in this kind of situation- consider that a lesson to you." Damn it... Not.

 

The time. "S... Kaiba!" he growled, eyes narrowed as the woman turned to look at him briefly. "This is a GAME! It ain't about murder! I get that Mokuba's in there," he shouted, pointing toward the castle and taking a step forward. "And I'll do whatever it takes to get him outta there as well... But that doesn't mean that you drag this kind of bullshit into the match! You won!" he spat out, bringing his hand back to his side. "You don't need t' go an' trash the guy who saved your ass for it."

 

At this, Seto merely stared before snorting. "Hn! Moron," she muttered, crossing her arms. "Games mean 'conflict', 'combat between enemies'... They're all the same," she stated bluntly, eyes narrowed. Huh..? "Cards... Chess... And the blood-soaked wars that go on around the world as we know it... They're all just different kind of games, and you know what," she asked, moving closer as she stared the blond down. "When this world was created, each person was given one thing, just one thing to play these games... And that thing was one single chip called Life. And when I threw that chip on the board," she continued with a low growl, expression souring further, "Your 'friend' exposed all weaknesses he had in his own and lost..." For a moment, they simply stared. Anzu looked as though she would say something...

 

In the end she didn't, the others instead watching the two glare at each other. Seto had an odd look in her eye, hate filled but not for the one she was currently staring down. Not for Yugi either, he didn't think. It was for something else... Something different. "That so," he finally said, expression kept as neutral as possible. No... Seto wasn't just spouting nonsense. Well... She kinda was, but at the same time...

 

Made him think back to Death-T again really.

 

_'He told 'him'... 'Lose means death',_ ' Mokuba had told them all, hands clutching the worn photograph he had. ' _And then he jumped out the window...'_

 

This was all she knew, wasn't it. Didn't know why that came to mind now, but somehow it made him feel a lot better... And a lot worse all the same. Confused even. Somehow though... "You're the one who lost th' duel, y' got that right," he muttered, shaking his head and moving over to Yugi's side as the boy stood shakily. "But not just this duel..." Helping his friend up and watching as the boy gave him a weak and nervous smile he turned to Seto and continued, expression softening somewhat. "If life 's a game, then you've got th' rules all messed up S... Kaiba. You said you have t' know yourself..? Then you have t' face yourself too. Stand up and fight, no matter how tough things get... No matter what happens..." That was the point of that months long coma wasn't it? To figure out what mattered, for her brother?

 

"You bet your 'chip' as if it meant nothing," Anzu spat from the side, Seto's look of dull confusion abruptly shifting to anger as Katsuya was interrupted. "You lost to yourself! When you realized you were going to lose, you decided to just end it all right there!" Uh wait, he was pretty sure something else factored into that... Katsuya mentally groaned as Anzu continued to turn on Kaiba, eyes narrowed as the other merely glared in silence. Damn it... He was getting to something... "Listen," she stated, voice lowering. "Real courage... It isn't pushing someone off a cliff if it benefits you... It's protecting what it is that's been given to you. No matter what! The moment you give up," she continued, the blond beside her blinking as he caught the message and giving a nod, "That's when you really lose!" At this point, Honda came forward, hands stuffed in his pockets as he fixed Kaiba with a stern frown. From behind, Yugi was fumbling with the duel disk... Trying to get it off as he struggled to calm down simultaneously.

 

Katsuya moved to help him out with that as Honda spoke, the blond unable to see Seto's reaction to the words. "Don't forget Kaiba," the teen was stating with a neutral tone, somehow managing to keep even a thread of anger out of his voice. "If it wasn't for Yugi, that 'chip' of yours would be over the side of the cliff... And I doubt that even if you had lost this duel, that your brother would want that." As Katsuya grabbed the duel disk and turned back, Seto was fixing them all with a narrowed glare. Either she caught it and really didn't like it or... Something else, he supposed. The woman's teeth were grinding as she clenched her fists before them, finally speaking after a few moments.

 

"Tch... Say what you want," she finally spat, eyes narrowed as she turned to Katsuya. Knowing why she was looking over, the blond tossed the woman her dueldisk, watching as she caught it and in one swift motion stowed it in her briefcase. "Nothing changes the fact that they're the cries of a loser!" Eh... Somehow he didn't think she'd get it. Or _admit_ that she got it if she did... Which she likely didn't. She really didn't make it easy to tell. "I'm leaving," she snarled, the briefcase clacking shut as she turned toward the stairs. "And when you morons get to the castle I'll leave the remains of Pegasus for you to deal with!" With that the woman disappeared down the stairs and into the stone arch beyond, Katsuya staring with a slight frown. Well... Not for lack of trying, he thought with a sigh. Rubbing his head as the woman turned away from them, he mentally sighed. She was doing all this for Mokuba really, so he guessed that was a start to not being so tense about this stuff... If that ever changed. Smiling wryly to himself, he shook his head, before turning back to Yugi.

 

Currently the boy was speaking to Honda, taller walking over as he spoke. "Cheer up Yugi," the teen was saying with a slight smile, hand on the boy's shoulder. Yugi in question was looking up at him with a slight frown, wiping his eyes as he listened. "You've still got half of your starchips right? So there's still a chance we can get in..." That was right... And even if the competitors were all eliminated there were Player Killers.

 

"That's right," Bakura said from the side, smiling. "After all... Kaiba isn't officially in the tournament... So if no other competitors have made it in, there's still a good chance you can make it..." He continued to smile softly, looking down the balcony as the night started setting in. "There have to be some duellists left on this island, and if you face them... I doubt anyone would be falling asleep on the last day after all..."

 

As the boy continued to look at them all, Katsuya smirked. "Yeah," he said with a laugh, jamming his hands in his pockets. "C'mon- we aren't giving up... So neither should you! We're with yeh t' th' end alright? Don't let anything bring you down!" Yugi continued to stare, before nodding with a small smile. Still nervous...

 

But it wouldn't be Yugi if he wasn't, much as he didn't like to admit it. Either way, a start. "A... Alright," he said, somewhat uneasily. "I won't give up!" Just what he wanted to hear! The group turned back to look at the castle, Katsuya's grin softening into a small smile. They'd make it in... No matter what they'd make it in!

 

Walking back through the tunnel and looking through the courtyard however, the group froze. "Wait..." Saruwatari was standing by the door, watching as Seto placed her ten starchips into the lock. Standing there only moments before the door opened inward to allow entrance. Seto was going in obviously, but behind her... "What th' hell," he said with a growl, watching as a familiar, bandanna capped man flashed a glove to the guard and followed after. That bastard... He wasn't even in the tournament, what the hell! (He could see why Pegasus would be pulling the chip-gambit over Seto at least...) "Bandit Keith is here!" He growled, before turning to the others with a frown. That was one person in... What happened if three others followed after Keith? "Damn it... We can't waste any more time guys... We gotta get those starchips!"

 

The others gave a nod, Yugi looking toward Katsuya with a slightly unsure stare. "R-Right!" The sun was gone... They raced out the door, following lights affixed to the sides of the rails only for Katsuya to tense up. Something was off... Something was very off he decided, hairs raising as the feeling increased. Freezing at the tops of the stairs, he slowly turned, the others stopping in their tracks as well. Watching...

 

Someone was- "It's too late," a voice from behind said with a chuckle, Katsuya turning to growl in response. For the love of... AGGGH. Saruwatari merely grinned at the sight, arms crossed. What did he mean 'too late'? Did four people already get in? The rest of the group turned, frowning as the man laughed before them. Was it just him, or was it always this guy? "You're disqualified Yugi!"

 

Katsuya grit his teeth, eyes narrowed. "What th' hell do you mean 'disqualified'," he shouted, fists clenched as the guard continued to chuckle. "Yugi's still got half his starchips, you can't disqualify him!" That was only if he had no starchips whatsoever! ...Unless...

 

This only elicited a louder laugh, the man pointing off toward the coast of the island. "Really," he said with a smirk, the others following his gaze to the sea. "Then look over there! See that boat leaving the island," he asked, Katsuya dimly making out the shape in the dark. Hard to tell but... Well, it was a lot bigger than the one they'd seen before. "It's full of duellists who lost their starchips," the man stated, expression unseen to the group as they watched the ship. "Which includes all remaining contestants besides you!"

 

"What.."

 

They turned back, eyes growing still wider as Saruwatari continued to laugh. "Ahahaha... In other words," he said with a grin, the others expressions falling at the sight, "The four finalists for the championship tournament have already been decided!" He tensed, swallowing nervously. "What... They're already..." Shit... So Keith was the fourth then? "The first of course," the man muttered, "Is Howard Keith'..." That lousy son of a-! Wait. Waaaait... First? He frowned, listening as Yugi asked about whether or not he'd gotten in. If Keith was first...

 

"What about Jonouchi," his friend was saying with a worried frown, the others turning back to look at Saruwatari as well. "He has ten starchips, he has to be-"

 

"Don't worry," Saruwatari was saying dismissively, grin visibly fading slightly. "He's one of the four..." Not that he obviously liked that, Katsuya mentally added. At all. Then again, he'd kinda been calling him out on everything he did. Which he wasn't about to stop doing, he added with a mental grin. Feeling a little sore, Saruwatari? As those thoughts came to mind, he was pulled back into the conversation's topic. So he was still in... But what about the other two?

 

"Then... Does that make Kaiba the third finalist," Honda asked with a frown, only for the group to sigh in relief as Saruwatari shook his head.

 

"No," he stated curtly, arms crossed behind his back. "He's a special guest of Pegasus-sama... For that reason, he won't be participating. The third contestant did in fact come by earlier," he continued, looking off down the stairs. The lights along the railing lit the path rather brightly, but a few feet past the bottom and there was nothing but darkness. "However they left, claiming to be bringing back the fourth... Well," he continued with a smirk, walking back toward the door, as the others continued to look down the staircase. "When those two get back we'll have four!" How the hell did he even know that the 'fourth' existed? Ass... "A pity you didn't make it Yugi! AHAHAHAHAAA!"

 

At those words the gate slammed behind him, leaving Yugi to do nothing but stare at the ground with wide eyes, and the others to growl. That asshole... Tch! He looked over his glove, frowning. Starchips... Stupid things had gotten them into heaps of trouble, but without them they were screwed. Eyes drifted to his friend, before the blond held his wrist out to Yugi. Only one thing to do... Only one!

 

"Yugi," he stated, severe expression in place. "Take my starchips!" The boy stared, jumping as the hand was literally thrown in his face before frowning. ' _But why,_ ' he seemed to silently ask, eyes wide. ' _Why.._ ' "The only reason I made it this far," he began with a sad smile, "The only way I got here was because you gave me one of your starchips... You gave me _half,_ " he continued, bowing his head. "Half of your starchips, so that we could both go after our goals." Granted that had been 'Dark Yugi' but... Well, he was in a 'time-out' for the next while. "It's time f'r me t' return the favor."

 

"But Jonouchi-kun..." Yugi continued to stare at the blond, before shaking his head. "No... I can't... I can't!" he shouted, frowning. "You won those for Mokuba-kun, you worked hard for them... You said it yourself, he's in there..! There's no way," he continued, shaking his head furiously. "There's no way I can take these..." Mokuba...

 

He bit his lip, looking at the ground. "Yeah, I have t' get Mokuba but..." He looked back at Yugi, steeling himself. "But you've got somethin' t' fight for too! And you and I both know that out of th' two of us, you're th' real champ... Yugi," he continued, still holding the glove in his friend's face. All those times they'd faced each other at his house... He'd almost always won, and while the blond knew that he himself had improved, Yugi was still... "I know that you can do this... F'r both of us... So you can't give up," he shouted, shaking his head. "Never-"

 

Again, Yugi refused. "I can't..." There was fear in his eyes... Fear that he'd seen only moments before back on the balcony. The fear that he'd had at duel's end when... His own eyes widened with realization, and the blond bit his lip. That was right... Whenever Yugi had duelled on the island, it wasn't him was it...

 

It was 'Dark Yugi'.

 

They fell awkwardly silent for a moment, before a shout from behind caught their attention. "There you are," came a familiar voice, Katsuya blinking with shock as the now familiar blonde from before made her way up the steps. Mai was only about half-way up when she shouted, but it took mere moments before she was at the final flight with a large smile on her face. "Really," she said almost exasperatingly, "I've been looking for you guys for ages... Do you know how hard it was to convince the lug at the door that I was getting you?" Wait...

 

What! His eyes widened as they turned, before the blond mentally groaned. Damn it of all times... "Great... It's you..." And hang on... He blinked, the woman's last few words catching on. 'Lug'? Saruwatari? ...

 

SHE was the one who was looking for the fourth competitor? Mai snorted, hands on her hips as she pulled Kastuya from his thoughts. "Hn! 'Me' indeed... I see that you're still here..."

 

At those words she paused, before roughly grabbing blond's wrist with wide eyes. "O-OI! What th' hell are you doing!" The woman ignored him, staring a few moments before dropping the hand with a dumbfounded expression.

 

"I don't believe it... You collected ten starchips..?" He growled, face going red. Well, by all means, don't hold back right?

 

"Oiii... Don't act like it's an impossible feat! B'sides," he grumbled, crossing his arms as the scowl deepened. "It's gonna be half that when I finally convince Yugi t' take 'em..."

 

Again the woman paused, turning to look at Yugi in question with a bewildered stare. Obviously she was in shock... Yugi had half the amount while he had all of them, probably looked just a little weird

he'd admit. She scratched her head in silence, Yugi merely shrinking back slightly under the look. "You..." She frowned, eyes narrowing slightly with worry. "You're not disqualified are you..?" Silence was the only answer she received, Yugi staring to the side with an awkward expression. "Hn! You're kidding me," Mai muttered, before reaching into her pocket for something. "Well... I can't accept that," she stated with a smirk. "Here... Not quite the eight I owe you... But take these!"

 

Katsuya stared, he and the others looking in shock as a handful of starchips gleamed in the sun. "Holy shit," he muttered, looking at the woman with wide eyes. "You got sixteen starchips? How the hell is that even possible?" Wouldn't...

 

Wouldn't she be called out on that if she challenged someone with the full amount of chips? She merely smirked, hand still held out as she turned to give the blond a joking wink. "Double-or-nothing; you won't believe how easy it is when your opponent spends all his time underwater..." Underwa- Ryota?Mai chuckled, free hand on her hip as she continued. "One would almost think he never saw a real woman before!" The woman appeared relatively oblivious to the fact that Anzu was now muttering death threats to a certain harpoon fisher at the moment ('real woman, honestly!'), looking back at Yugi with a more serious expression. "Go on, take them," she said with a light tone, smiling. "They're not gonna bite you... All I want in return is a fair fight in that castle there, understand?"

 

As she said this Yugi continued to stare at the ground in silence. Mai as well stopped speaking, her hand unmoving. "Yugi," Anzu finally said, smiling as she got over her earlier slip of anger. (Hopefully, for Ryota's sake, she never saw the guy again... Especially since he wasn't the one who made the comment.) "Go on... If you take these we can all get inside right?"

 

"That's right," Honda was saying with a nod. "Come on man... You just caught a lucky break, we've got a fair shot now!" A really fair shot.

 

Still Yugi stared, a frown playing over his face before he finally shook his head. "I can't..." The others tensed, Mai's hand slowly closing over the chips in response as the boy politely pushed it back. "I can't accept these..."

 

"...Yugi..." They stared, Katsuya almost shaking his head in slight disbelief. Mai in particular was still bewildered. "But why..."

 

He stared at the ground, shaking his head again. "When I was fighting with Kaiba-san, I had to force the other me to stop... Because of that, I lost..." Ignoring Mai's raised eyebrow the boy grabbed his puzzle, holding it close. "The other me... I know, even with all that's on the line... I know he wouldn't take those starchips after what happened... So... I won't take them..." Wait...

 

So 'Dark Yugi' was too proud to take the chips outside a duel? _AGGGGGH_.

 

Katsuya had to hand it to Mai. For such a creepy 'stalker', not only was she actually pretty cool but... She was pretty much just taking what Yugi had said and throwing the words to the side for what mattered. Though... Given that she'd already been there with that whole 'Player Killer of Darkness' deal, she probably knew about 'Dark Yugi' as it was... "Well," she said with a small smile, still holding the starchips tight in her hands. "I don't know what happened but... This 'other self' of yours is effectively a mass of 'duellist pride'!" She chuckled slightly, before again holding the chips toward Yugi. "And the fact is, I owe you these starchips... If not for you, I'd have been disqualified long ago, and your 'other self' knows that. So never mind his pride," she stated, narrowing her eyes as the smile vanished. "I always pay back my debts... And even if you had ten starchips already, I would hold these in your face until you took them!"

 

"But..." Yugi looked at the woman with confusion, frowning. He shook his head still more, trying to find an excuse of sorts. "But..." A hand clapped his shoulder and the boy turned.

 

Katsuya looked at him with a narrowed and severe stare, almost hesitating before speaking. In the end, he found the words. "That's enough," he said clearly, his friend looking up with still more confusion. "Stop thinking about what th' darker you thinks," he said with a scowl, watching as Yugi gave him a slight frown in response to 'dark'. Hey, not like he said 'evil' right? That wasn't Yugi. Definitely darker though... "Think about your own feelings! 'Dark Yugi'," he said with a snort, shaking his head. "He can take a time out this time; hell, if he's sulkin' in there you can just tell him t' deal with it an' move on! But I ain't talking about him," he continued, regaining his serious gaze. "I'm talking about you!"

 

The boy shook, head turning back and forth as his gaze slowly shifted to the ground. "I... I..."

 

"Why do you feel so _INFERIOR,_ " he shouted, the others frowning as he turned on the boy completely. As Yugi jumped slightly, he continued, ignoring the fact that he was shouting and continuing regardless. "Is it because he won all those battles? Because he's 'good at games'? THINK," he continued, Yugi looking up in shock. "I've played you, th' real you an' not that other side... An' yer just as good as he is! Just because he's good, doesn't mean that you aren't worth just as much! Think about yourself for once," he continued, Yugi still staring at him with wide eyes. "What's the thing that really matters to you... Th' thing you came for!" At those words the confusion seemed to clear. Yugi's eyes grew wide not with shock or indecisiveness, but with realization, and in response the blond continued further. "All I ever hear is 'Duelist' pride', worries about 'losing face', WHO THE _FUCK_ CARES ," he roared, Mai going a little red behind him. "We didn't come here for that kind of crap! We came for something important! Something we're fighting for! Yugi," he continued, turning to look at the sky for a moment as his voice quieted. All these things that were going on here... What he saw earlier, not just between Seto-chan and Yugi but also... "Somehow, even though I'm just newbie-player that picked up a deck a few weeks ago, I got ten starchips... Set... Kaiba's words," he said with a sad laugh, "They weren't all lies, it _really_ must've been a miracle that I came this far..." He smiled, still staring at the stars as his hand fell from Yugi's shoulder. "But I was feeling happy... Thinkin' people might start callin' me a 'real duellist', instead 'f jus' callin' me a mutt all the time... But if all a 'real duellist' cares about is pride," he continued, turning back to the others with a determined gaze, "If all that matters is saying 'I won' and flaunting it in th' other guy's face... Then I don' wanna be a duellist... I don't wanna be some asshole, acting full of myself just 'cause I won a few games playing cards..." The sad smile remained in place, hands in his pockets as he continued. "I have somethin' t' protect," he continued, stare unchanging. "And I'll crawl through hell itself if that's what it takes t' do it. Cause y' know what," he said, giving a small shrug. "B'fore I'm a duellist, or a security guy, or a student or any of that other crap... I'm Jonouchi Katsuya. An' that's all I'll ever be."

 

Yugi stared, as did the others in silence for a good long while as the blond stared into the distance. Mokuba and Yugi's grandfather... And Seto-chan as well, if her condition against Pegasus' eye was any given. He didn't know what was going to happen... But he'd be damned if he didn't get his say in how things went, even just a little.

 

"Jonouchi-kun," Yugi was saying from behind, Katsuya turning in response.

 

Mai as well was staring, before giving a small and seemingly knowing smile. "He's right you know," she stated to the boy, gaze softening as she leaned against the staircase wall. "Pride... It can be a right pain sometimes... But Yugi," she continued, still clutching the starchips tightly in her hand. "I didn't go around collecting these just for pride... True, I wanted to repay you, believing that with that, I would earn the right to face you in a match... But to tell the truth," she continued, giving a light shrug and a sad sigh, "I wanted to see you guys again..." What... He frowned slightly, the others turning on Mai as well with confused stares before the woman continued. "After all the things I said before, after all that..." She snorted, the smile remaining unchanged. "To hear you guys say 'we're friends', that made me truly happy... It's the first time anyone's said something like that to me, in my entire life..."

 

"Ku..." Katsuya paused, before correcting himself. Nah... If she was a 'friend' (He'd admit it really...)... "Mai..." Briefly Mai blinked in response to that. In the end however, she merely smiled and turned to Yugi yet again. T

 

he woman held her hand before the boy, eyes appearing sad as opposed to their former pride-filled cheer as she spoke. "Listen... These starchips are more than just a debt re-paid," she stated quietly. "These are a token of my appreciation; my 'thank-you' for what you've done. Yugi," she asked, hand opening to reveal the starchips that were now slightly embedded into her palm. "You'll take them... won't you..?" They stared, expressions blank as they waited for his answer. Yugi appeared to merely look at the chips blankly for a moment, expression decidedly neutral for the boy. Finally however, he smiled and nodded.

 

"Okay," he decided, taking the chips in his hand and clicking five into place. "I'll take them!"

 

"Alright!" The others grinned, watching as Yugi turned to them with an equally cheerful expression in place. Back in the competition!

 

"That's better," Honda was saying with a wink, pointing back toward the castle over his shoulder. "Now how about we get going?"

 

As Yugi nodded, Katsuya tapped the boy's shoulder. "That reminds me," he muttered as Yugi turned, blinking. "Yugi... You tell your other self that if he's gonna keep moping and complainin' that he's got me t' face, got it? You bring him out th' moment he starts, I'll knock some sense int' him!" He grinned, before coughing. "Er... Without somehow hurtin' yah..." Maybe he could find a way to get in there to deal with him himself? But wait, what would that do?

 

His friend stared a few moments before laughing loudly and shaking his head. "Ahaha! Don't worry Jonouchi-kun," he said with a smile, the others turning to face the castle. "I won't let him argue... Trust

me!"

 

"Good," he said with a grin. Well... That fixed things. If 'Dark Yugi' or 'Other Yugi' or whatever he was would keep quiet then things would work out... Fact was, he missed 'normal' Yugi- after hours and hours of nothing but 'Other Yugi', it was a good break. No matter how damn different those two were, or how damn creepy it was. "Now... Let's go kick some ass alright?"

 

With that there was a mostly resounding shout of 'Alright!', with Mai the only one preferring to hold silent as she smiled. The group pushed open the great iron doors to the castle's courtyard with that shout, rushing forward to enter the castle itself. It was time...

 

And in just a while, this would all be over.

 


	15. A Silent Conversation

The sunset was a wonderful sight to see from the balconies of his castle. The ocean would be dyed a deep violet, with streams of pink and pale orange lining the red-tinted sky. Pegasus however was not looking at the magnificent sight as he sat in his chair, back turned to a window that was closed shut with elaborately designed curtains. Instead he leaned against his chair, flipping through a pile of cards with a calm smile across his face. Such marvellous cards these were... So special that he simply did not release them to the public in the end. A few made it of course...

 

But for his personal ones, his favourite ones, they would never be shown to the public world eye.

 

Pegasus sorted through the cards, quietly humming to himself as silence sat around the room. Mokuba had of course been moved from the cells after the 'reveal' to dear Seto. There was no sense in using unnecessary means to keep an eye on him. He had to say though... The woman's more prominent thoughts had been interesting to say the least and at the memory, his eye narrowed slightly in mirth. "Hnhnhn... Dear, dear Kaiba," he muttered, pausing in his card sorting to sigh. An intense worry for Mokuba that he hadn't seen in anyone for a long time... More so than when he'd spoken to the 'Dog' that the siblings had for security even, though between siblings he supposed it was expected. To think though, the woman assumed he had a weapon aimed at her brother! Really! He'd already done all he 'could' to remove any possible problems the boy would pose. Weapons would be useless! Pointless! And messy...

 

He would rather not have blood on his floors, even the stone ones. He gave another sigh, still smiling. So interesting though... She'd guessed instantly what it was he knew, and had created all those things to get around revealing more... And it would all be for naught, he added with a smile. All for nothing... Pegasus' thoughts were cut short as the phone to the side buzzed.

 

"Hnn..?" The smile faded, and he placed his cards on the table to turn on the speaker. This phone would only receive numbers from his hired hands, which meant... "Yes?" he asked as he picked up the phone, listening for whoever was on the other end. Good news perhaps?

 

" _Mr. Pegasus_ ," stated Saruwatari, accented English coming through the other end. Aha... Very good news! " _The match between Yugi Mutou and Seto Kaiba has just ended ._ " There was a pause, as though Saruwatari himself was unsure of what had happened. _"...The winner,_ " he finally stated with a slight cough, Pegasus holding back from his intended statement of 'go on...'," _Is Seto Kaiba._ " There was more silence for a moment, Pegasus merely smiling with a narrowed eye. Kaiba-dear... Well, wasn't that interesting. " _...Shall I let him into the castle?_ " he asked, his employer smirking in response.

 

" _But of course~_ ," he stated with a smile, leaning back in his chair. Hands folded in his lap and the man crossed his legs, giving a mock sigh. " _My... What a turn of events..! I wouldn't miss it,_ " he

stated with a shout, grinning. " _Bring him in immediately,_ " Pegasus continued, not even skipping a beat when it came to cloaking Kaiba's gender. It was so much more fun after all, when there were mind games involved... Much more fun, to watch and see how a paranoid 'Kaiba-dear' would act. The eye narrowed further, his smile darkening into an almost villainous smirk. " _Be sure to show him directly to the duel arena... Understand,_ " he added lowly, nothing but silence on the other end. " _We can't keep our Dear Seto Kaiba waiting after all..._ "

 

He assumed there was a nod on the other end with Saruwatari's next words, the man completely missing the implications with the word 'dear'. " _Yes sir,_ " he stated seriously, sounds of footsteps dimly audible over the phone. " _Right away sir!_ " With a sharp click the phone disconnected, Pegasus clicking the switch controlling the speaker before leaning back in his chair. "Hnhnhnhnhn... My my..." The man turned to the side, looking towards where his 'guest' had been standing for the last hour or so. The boy merely stared blankly, not responding to the words he spoke. Merely standing in the same position he had been left in. "It looks as though your dear sister has gotten her wish, 'Mokuba-boy'..." The man continued to chuckle as he gathered his cards, millennium eye seeming to react to the upcoming duel. A pulsing energy shuddered through the room... Cards gathered, he continued to speak. "Her next opponent will indeed be me..." On his terms though, he mentally added with a smirk. These 'dueldisks' would simply not do! "Don't worry 'Mokuba-boy'," Pegasus continued, standing up to leave the room with the cards. "Soon enough you'll be able to see your dear sister again..." In the card prison he had created that was... "Hnhnhnhnhn... Come," he 'ordered', the boy blinking in response. Walking past the boy he opened the door to leave, knowing that Mokuba was listening despite lack of response. "We're going to meet with your sister..."

 

The response was nothing but silent footsteps behind him as he moved down the hall, but then, that had been expected. The smirk continued to play across his face as he moved to set up his duel, eye glinting coldly in the hall light. Time to play a Shadow Game...

 

_'Kaiba-dear'..._

 

* * *

 

The wind had been pressuring at the wall of that tower. Far softer than before during the duel itself, but still enough that she was hardly believing the fact that she hadn't been blown down before Yugi made his move. And his move, his decision was...

 

_'I'll do it,_ ' her opponent had shouted, expression set with the decision and making no move to betray his actions. Show no mercy then... Do it... Do it! ' _Elven Knight,'_ he had continued loudly. ' _ATTA- Gkhk!_ '

 

She had only stood there for moments waiting for the strike that never came. Across from her, Yugi collapsed, as though fighting off an intense wave of pain. Grabbing his head, tensing on the ground... The woman narrowed her eyes as the boy continued to stare at the ground, almost shivering. What was he doing? Where was the attack? "Tch..." Soft, almost inaudible sounds came over the field, her eyes narrowing further. Crying? That was what it sounded like at least... But crying! Her opponent was crying now? Time passed... Seconds, minutes, and finally it came to her turn. "Blue-Eyes," she commanded, eyes narrowed as the win came into view. She couldn't feel excited about this... All she felt was a cold detachment from the battle itself, a desire to put this as far behind her as possible. This fight wasn't for her... It was never for her, and as such it was little more than an obstacle to cross to find and Mokuba. And as such, she would end it now! It was never a duel. Never... " _BURST STREAM!_ "

 

Her dragon reared the third repaired head, blast of energy gathering in its mouth. White light had filled the arena... Spouting forward to an almost blinding extent in the now night sky. Yugi's lifepoints dropped to zero and her dueldisk clicked off with a loud 'beep'. Seto pulled the disk back, removing it from her wrist silently as a blank frown came over her face. Pathetic... Pathetic... She tried to convince herself that this was what Yugi was, that this was the reason. But why... Why? Why the hell had he stopped that attack! One step and she was back on the tower and out of danger. A few more steps and she was picking her briefcase up off the ground and opening it up with a loud click. The disk was packed back into the briefcase that sat along the sides as the winds died down, and in a single motion she had the cards from the deck holder, disk, and ground. Gathering them back into a deck, her cards sat in her jacket's breast pocket once again, and as the case before her was clicked shut she turned briefly on the group before her. Tears, nothing but tears...

 

Why...

 

_'Kaiba-san could have died,_ ' the boy was crying, Seto's eyes narrowing as the honorific was noted. Sometime's 'san' other times not... Tch... What was this then, a case of some stupid personality take over? She didn't know what Yugi's issue was. Maybe he had a mental disorder, something, some kind of problem that had him do one thing than then say another... But there were definitely 'two' people in there so to speak. This Yugi, the one huddled on the ground in pieces... And the one who without a doubt, would have attacked her. Killed her without remorse and moved ahead regardless of the words of the others. Picking up the starchips on the ground with a grimace, she didn't know which fact she detested more; that her fight had effectively been interrupted in the only legal way possible, or that it had taken that interruption to change the course of the duel. Yugi's eyes with those words... Vicious, with the strong desire to win. Eyes that she'd found familiar to her own...

 

Familiar enough that, she realized with a silent growl, it appeared that he had done exactly what she would have 'as predicted', rather than proving her wrong as he always would... Exactly what she had predicted. A prediction that she recalled with a jolt, had involved actions that ended up with her almost killing her own brother. Seto turned to face the group with a glare, pocketing the starchips and scowling. Death-T... "You showed weakness in the end," she stated with disgust, fists clenched as the group looked at her with mixed expressions. For the most part there were frowns... Even the blond had one, though that in itself made her feel a little more detached from the annoyance that resurfaced with his presence; she still didn't know who he was...

 

Couldn't remember what he meant to her, whether he was worth anything or not. At least this way however it mattered only little, if at all. Yugi's face was still twisted with grief, and as she continued to stare the boy down her eyes narrowed further regardless of that slight relief.

 

He showed weakness... Interfering on his own duel, collapsing into tears, and yet that wasn't why she felt angry. The real reason... The main reason... If she could even pin it down...

 

She grit her teeth, continuing. "It cost you your win... If you'd had the resolve to push me over the edge Yugi, you would have won." Seto's gaze remained relatively unchanged as she continued, looking at the boy's eyes without a speck of remorse. Pathetic... He should have just let her die, maybe give him something to really cry about. Rather than reminding her of that hated day months before. Rather than sitting there and crying like a child, making it even more difficult to believe in his age. At least she wouldn't have had to watch him curl in on himself. Of course, she added as an afterthought before speaking, who would be there to cry at any funeral she had given the current situation if she had died? Who... "You would have moved on to that castle with no problems," Seto stated, Yugi still staring back with tears streaming down the sides of his face. Instead of moving ahead however, he'd pulled himself back... Pulled himself far back and now the moron would have nothing to show for it, nothing but tears and whatever the hell kind of memory it was that Yugi was apparently fighting for this time. He always had something after all... ...Pathetic. "Caring about the enemy's safety is the most moronic thing you can do in this situation," she decided, turning away slightly. "Let that be a lesson to you."

 

Don't play games that weren't intended to be won no matter what. This wasn't some manga where 'defeat' was synonymous with 'friendship' or some other crap; this was real life, and it just so happened that real life had decided to give them nothing but bullshit. This was a time where the goal had to remain in sight no matter what... And this... This was not the place for someone like Yugi. Not the place for someone who switched persona at the drop of a hat and contradicted themselves just as quickly. "S... Kaiba," the blond one shouted from behind, the woman turning slightly in response. Hn..? Now what did the mutt want... She turned on him completely, staring as their face grew red. "This is a GAME," he shouted, eyes narrowing. How often had she heard those words... "It ain't about murder!" Her stare continued to remain narrowed; she never said it was... Honestly, what kind of bullshit did he think she was trying to pull... "I get that Mokuba's in there," the blond continued, Seto's expression betraying the slight pang of guilt she felt with that particular reminder, "And I'll do whatever it takes t' get him outta there as well... But that doesn't mean you drag this kind of bullshit into the match," he roared, Seto merely staring in response. "You don't need t' go an' trash the guy who saved your ass for it!"

 

For a moment she said nothing, merely staring and taking in the information. Finally however, she snorted. Idiot... ' _Just a game_ '? Don't make her laugh. He completely missed the point... "Moron," she muttered, eyes narrowed. "Games mean 'conflict', 'combat between enemies'," Seto stated with a mild glare. "They're all the same... Cards, chess... And the blood soaked wars that go on around the world as we know it..." She took a few steps forward, staring the 'mutt' down and continuing with a dangerously low tone. "They're all just different kinds of games, and you know what..? When this world was created, each person was given one thing, just one thing to play these games... A single chip called 'Life'. And when I threw that chip on the board," she spat, growling as she continued. "Your friend exposed all weaknesses he had in his own and lost pathetically..." More silence. She wasn't sure why she was still standing there rather than leaving for the castle, leaving for her brother. She needed to move. Get him out of there...

 

In the end, the blond before her spoke up again, catching her attention once more. "Is that so," he said, sending back a dull and neutral frown. "You're th' one who lost th' duel... You got that right," he continued, muttering as he moved over to Yugi's side. "But it wasn't just this duel..." What..? The teen helped his friend up, before turning back to face her with the same narrowed and neutral gaze, Seto merely staring back. "If life's a game, then you've got all th' rules messed up S... Kaiba. You said you have t'know yourself..?" Yes.. She did... "Then y' have t' face yourself too," the blond continued, his subject merely staring in response. ...What. "Stand up an' fight, no matter how tough things get... No matter what happens." Stand up and-

 

Oh please, don't start trying to teach her this bullshit now... She was hardly in the mood. Listening to those words gained a mixed response of annoyance and confusion really; the 'mutt' was obviously trying to say something, but just what the hell was it, she pondered with a mental growl. Her thoughts were stopped when in the silent gap created with the last few words, the others decided to continue where he left off. "You bet your chip as if it meant nothing," Anzu spat out from her side, Seto turning to fix the woman with steady glare. Excus- What did she say! "You lost to yourself," she was continuing, apparently uncaring of the fury that Seto herself was now in. "When you realized you were going to lose, you decided to just end it all right there!" Nothing? NOTHING? She was there for one purpose and one purpose only- if she could not fulfill that purpose, then her chip really was worth nothing! How dare she twist this into some pathetic tantrum over a duel! These weren't even her preferred conditions...

 

If it had been that, she wouldn't have given the option at all, and would have tried again to rub the moron's nose in defeat for once! Winning by circumstance was one thing, she thought with a growl. But winning because of circumstance she created for the sake of her brother... If there was one thing she wanted never to do again, it was to be forced into such a situation once more. She did what she had to... It wasn't her fault that someone couldn't make up his mind about that. Still fixing Anzu with a glare, Seto watched as the woman's harsh tone suddenly quieted slightly, the gaze softening.

 

"Listen," Anzu stated, eyes narrowed. "Real courage... It isn't pushing someone off a cliff if it benefits you... It's protecting what it is that's been given to you, no matter what!" Except she hadn't been fighting 'this' Yugi, she'd been fighting the 'other' Yugi, making the entire point completely moot! Protecting that chip... If she couldn't protect her brother's life... Even that wasn't as bad as simply disregarding it and having someone else step in to stop it. And even that... Even that wasn't the reason... "The moment you give up," Anzu was continuing across from her, those around giving a nod in response as Seto's train of thought was lost once more. "That's when you really lose!" Tch... Oh, how touching.

 

Still moot. Growling, she watched as the tallest of the group (Honda was it?) moved forward, with a considerably less angered expression. "Don't forget Kaiba," the teen was stating, Seto fixing a dull glare his way in response. "If it wasn't for Yugi, that 'chip' of yours would be over the side of the cliff... And I doubt," he stated, the woman merely holding her tongue in response, "That even if you had lost this duel, your brother would want that." Shut up...

 

Shut up shut up shut up! If she lost the duel, her brother would be out of her reach completely, and Pegasus would likely gun her down as it was. Mokuba would be locked in a cell for all his life, and likely made to watch as she died... Better to die by her own hands than by-

 

Oh that wasn't even the point! Why... Why did she feel so damn guilted about this? How was it that, in addition to already detesting the conditions she'd ended this duel with, she still felt like complete crap? Not the point, she tried to tell herself. It wasn't the point... The point was that this moron in front of her had just changed his mind half way through... Changed his mind from killing her to letting her live, when there was no reason for it. Weak... He was weak, and that was all- he couldn't stomach the possibility of getting his hands dirty, and it made him weak...

 

That was all.

 

She narrowed her eyes, watching as the blond in the group stood with the second dueldisk. "Tch... Say what you want," she spat out with a growl, turning to give a demanding glare to him for the moment. There was a nod, and the dueldisk was tossed over. With one swift motion she was on the ground opening her briefcase to re-package the device. "Nothing changes the fact that they're the cries of a loser," she continued, closing the briefcase off and storming down the tower steps. "I'm leaving," Seto shouted, wanting nothing more than to get her brother, get out of there, and just get this all over with. Her coat flapped behind her as she moved, locket thumping against her front with each step. "And when you morons get to the castle," she added with a snarl, "I'll leave the remains of Pegasus for you to deal with!" Time to get this over with...

 

Over and done and in the past. Shoes clacked against hard cold stone as she moved past the stairs, walking toward the tunnel and attempting to clear her mind. She was there. She was almost there, and Pegasus was next... Calm down, she told herself with narrowed eyes. Calm-

 

She tensed, frown returning as a shadow stepped from in front of her. Oh great... A small and clearly sarcastic form of applause was coming from the shadow, and not even two feet ahead of her she stopped in her tracks. For the love of... Was everyone trying to keep her away from Mokuba? Really? She grit her teeth, narrowing her eyes as the man before her spoke in an accented and almost slurred form of Japanese. "Good show," the man before her stated, her eyes narrowing further as she recognised the voice. "You kicked that midget's sorry little ass! Hehehehe..." Now what could he be doing here...

 

"Mm.." She stared, her own voice laced with clearly evident dismissal as she answered the American. He was completely butchering the language... What the hell was he saying? "Well," she began, completely ignoring the comment on her 'play'. Honestly, it wasn't a win if she wasn't going 'all out' without the kind of crap she'd been forced to pull out there... That kind of duel was making even her feel nauseous. As for the one watching her... "I didn't know a prize hunting hyena like yourself could find their way to an island this far from the USA... _Interesting choice of languages_ ," she continued, slipping into fairly clear English with a dull expression. " _But what are you doing here, 'Bandit Keith'?_ " Keith merely smirked in response, apparently amused by the fact that he wasn't limited to Japanese for the moment.

 

" _Hehehe... Didn't guess? You were there too, weren't you?_ " The man continued to laugh, Seto's own expression held relatively neutral as the man continued. Great. Somehow, regardless of it being his native language, he was doing worse... " _Let me tell you something, you rich bastard_ ," the man stated with a crazed and almost frightening grin. She'd seen worse honestly... And 'bastard'? Not new, she decided as Keith continued. " _I'm taking that prize... And Pegasus' head... For myself..._ " She remained silent, the comment leaving little effect. Psh... Such a heavily slurred tone even in English... This moron was either drunk or hungover... Not to mention loose a good number of screws she decided, only barely listening as Keith muttered something about 'rich kids not caring about prizes'. (Though it was true, she could really care less about the prize...) " _Hey_ ," the blond asked, a dark grin in place as he spoke again. " _What you said out there, 'we're all given a chip called 'life'..._ " He snorted, wheezing laughter echoing around the tunnel for a number of moments before he continued. " _This chip worth the same for everyone? For the poor and the rich both? Or is it just something you pulled out of your ass for the situation?_ " As Keith continued to laugh, Seto merely smirked. Moron...

 

She couldn't even be too bothered by his insults he was so pathetic. Hahhhhh... Might as well get going then if he was going to be talking about that... "Mm... _I thought that distinction was for you 'hyenas' to sniff out_ ," she stated calmly, smirking and walking off with those words. " _While you hunt for your next pile of scraps_..."

 

"Gh..!" She rolled her eyes as the man muttered a few curses to her under his breath, walking through the courtyard to reach the door. "Well," he was muttering as she took out the chips from her jacket, ignoring the muttered conversation Saruwatari was having over the phone beside her. " _Might as well head inside the castle too..._ " Hn! The smirk grew minutely, and she continued to fish out the ten starchips. By the time she was through, this tournament wouldn't even be able to run. Seto placed each starchip within the door lock with a click, watching as the lock clacked open and 'swallowed' the chips in an aperture-like fashion. Spaces now cleared for the next contestant, the lock turned swiftly in a full circle.

 

"Lock Activated," the device stated with a computerized monotone, before the door itself swung open with an echoing bang. "Enter." She would. Taking no time to pause at the entrance she stormed through the foyer of the castle, all anger from the previous 'duel' doubled. Pegasus... She was coming for him now, and he had better hope he was prepared. Walking through the foyer however, she paused. Someone was watching her... Who...

 

"Excuse me," a man asked from the side, Seto's eyes widening from their near slit-like state slightly in response. Hn... What now. "Kaiba-san," he asked, the woman turning to face him completely, expression kept almost professionally neutral. "Pegasus-sama will meet with you momentarily for your duel," he stated calmly, hands gesturing to the side. "Please, follow me." Ah... So this was an escort then. Seto nodded curtly, mood remaining relatively unchanged. Her rival was either literally two-faced even by normal standards or simply unable to fight. Her brother had been kidnapped by a man who could read minds, and that same person now had her own personal secrets dangling on a thread. Not to mention the aggravating comparisons that he was daring to assume... Needless to say. Not in the mood... Not in the mood at all.

 

The walk passed in silence, and she was led to a single door labelled 'arena'. A few chairs sat at the side, as did a vase or two filled with foxglove. Hn... So Pegasus had built himself an arena then had he? It figured. She crossed her arms, watching as the escort left with a muttered ' _the door will open when the duel arena is prepared. Please wait here_ '. Tch... More waiting. Shouldn't this have been ready to start? The briefcase was placed at the side, and as she took a seat she found herself staring at the wall in well hidden annoyance. Pegasus' tournament... That was probably what was delaying this 'duel'. According to the rules she skimmed while waiting all those hours before, there would be four finalists allowed into the castle. Keith was apparently one... And given the glove, so was the Mutt. Two more spots were freed... Make that one, she mentally corrected. After all. She had no doubt that Yugi would regain the missing five starchips. No doubts what so ever.

 

The only question was she decided, turning as the door to her side clicked open, was whether or not it would the a case of her 'rival' getting over himself and accepting the reality that was bloodied hands in a situation such as this... Or if he'd simply tagged along with the mutt like a lost puppy. Or maybe even something else...

 

The door was open now, and the platform bridge to the center arena was now beginning to move forward. Seto walked out onto the platform that jutted from the entry, walking across as it moved to lock into the side of the arena. This device... Identical in every way to the 'arena' she'd built for Death-T. Seto narrowed her eyes at the reminder, grip on her briefcase tightening. Obviously Pegasus had found something in her mind that last time she came. The woman shook it off, frowning. Forget it... Forget it! All that was left was Pegasus... And that was all that mattered! Staring forward, her free hand fingered the locket around her neck, scowl fading. Hold on... Just a little longer... Hold on, and she swore it, she would defeat Pegasus and get him back Mokuba... Her fist tightened around the pendant, before dropping it back down to sit around her neck. She would win. No matter what. And if he didn't show up soon...

 

Eyes traveled to the sides of the room, narrowed as she waited for Pegasus to appear. Watched... She felt like she was being watched, and not just by Keith; the moron was standing at the side, leaning against a railing from a hall above them. Staring down with a leering grin and an appropriately hyena-like chuckle while spinning something around in his hands. A balcony. It figured that Pegasus would have made room for private audience. There was someone else though... Someone else was watching, where...

 

Ahead of her the door slammed open, three men stepping out and cutting her thoughts considerably short. Those on the sides merely stood behind the third impassively, one holding a case of sorts and the other with his hands behind his back. As Pegasus stepped forward from the door only the guard with the case walked forward however, the second remaining stiff at the door. Pegasus... She grit her teeth, ignoring the oddities of the guards and focusing on the man before her. This man...

 

"Ahhh welcome~," he said with an apparently genuine smile, Seto making no attempt to hide any thoughts of loathing toward the man. Reading her mind? Have fun with that! Regardless of whatever he 'saw' as he came toward her, Pegasus merely continued with a laugh. "Welcome to my castle! So good to see you again Kaiba-dear~" Tch... As she clenched her fists at the 'dear' once again, the woman opted let Pegasus continue. Live with it... Not long now... Not long and Mokuba would be back, safe and sound... And with that done, she would fix everything. She would fix this all even if it took years. "I've been waiting for the day when I could battle a proud duelist such as yourself," Pegasus was saying, his smile abruptly shifting into a more sinister expression. "Right here in my own duelist kingdom..." He chuckled, and from behind the man's hair she could make out a gleaming golden eye. An eye that sent a cold chill down her spine before she reigned in her fear and cast it aside for the moment yet again. Tch... Bastard. Stop talking and give her brother back! "Hnhnhnhn... No need to worry Kaiba-dear," the man stated with a smirk. No need to- Of course... He'd read her thoughts and knew what she wanted already then. Spit it out, she mentally muttered, Pegasus merely chuckling in response. Get this over with... "Once our duel is safely over, I'll give back your wonderful little brother..." And if he didn't, then 'safely' would have to factor out of the situation, she thought wryly. Again Pegasus chuckled, before gesturing to the arena around them. "Now now Kaiba-dear," he said with a smile, eye narrowing with cruel mirth. Well, someone was enjoying this... What she wouldn't give to just wipe that smirk off his face. "Let's just enjoy the duel shall we..?"

 

"Tch..." Enough with the 'thought speak'! 'Enjoy'? The only part she would enjoy was smashing the bastard's head in with her briefcase after the match! "Let's go Pegasus," she snarled, watching as her opponent's smile darkened even further. "You've wasted enough time!" Before Pegasus spoke, distant shouts could be heard from the side. Seto's eyes widened just slightly as she made out a few words, the woman frowning in response. Hn?

 

"Ahhhh," Pegasus said with a smile, turning to look at the balcony to the side. "It looks as though the four official finalists have been gathered to watch... Such a large audience, wouldn't you say?" What..? She turned, blinking with slight surprise as the shouts from the side cleared up. ' _Kaiba-san,_ ' Yugi was shouting, Jonouchi and the others right at his side and staring down with encouraging stares. The blond was shouting as well...

 

All of them were looking down with... "Yugi..!" Why were all of them..? She stared, motionless for a few seconds as she rephrased the question to herself. How the hell did they get in that quick? Nonetheless turning back, she had to smile. She knew it after all... She knew he would be there. And if the look in his eyes was any given, he'd neither 'tagged along' nor lost whatever it was that made him stop that last duel. Somehow as she turned back to Pegasus with a frown, that didn't bug her. It wouldn't be 'Yugi' if he'd done that...

 

Wouldn't be the same person she wanted to face in a true duel, the one who had beaten her twice before and would someday be repaid that 'debt'. "Now then," Pegasus was stating, cruel smile still in place as he stared the woman down. "Let's start our little game, shall we?" She nodded, grip on her briefcase tightening. 'Little'? Tch...

 

"Before that Pegasus," she snarled, watching as the single guard at the back adjusted something behind him. Odd... But for the moment she cared less. "Tell me- Where. Is. My. Brother?" Pegasus merely chuckled, giving a dismissive wave. Ghn... Don't treat this lightly!

 

"Now now... Don't you worry Kaiba-dear... You'll be allowed to see him soon..." She narrowed her eyes, biting her tongue. Why didn't she like the sound of that... Gh... "Now," the man continued, eyes briefly passing over the briefcase. "About the means of our duel... I have a feeling you've brought an interesting contraption with you," he stated, Seto mentally rolling her eyes. Of course he had a feeling; he knew what she was thinking... As to how he knew that when she hadn't given that a thought for the moment... Tch. "Something called a duel disk...?"

 

By this point she had already placed the briefcase flat on the ground, opening it up to pull out one of the duel disks. "Hn! That's right," she stated, handing it over to the man and watching as he looked it over. She decided against taking out her own for now, instead watching Pegasus with a scowl. "We fight with this disk," she stated, "Or I don't fight at all!"

 

It was a weak threat, she knew that. Pegasus had her brother after all, and he could easily use that against her. Could easily threaten something against him should she not fight... Nonetheless. "Hnnn..." She continued to watch as Pegasus 'inspected' the device with an apparently curious eye. "Ahhhh!" Seto blinked, eyebrows raised as the man attempted a throw of sorts with an expression of apparent revelation. "Hup! ...Do I throw it like that?" She stared. Was... Was he serious... What was... She mentally shook it off, resuming her glare. Whatever. She already knew Pegasus was a few screws loose. "Hah... It looks exhausting," Pegasus muttered, wiping a fake bead of sweat from his brow. "I'm not very good at physical sports..." ...Many. Screws loose. Many many many- "How about this," Pegasus asked, his former expression of faux-worry changing to a significantly more severe smirk that stopped her thoughts instantly. "I'll fight you with the duel disk," he began, Seto's attention pulled to the guard behind him with a frown. He shifted with those words... Why... "But I'll use a... 'Proxy' of sorts to wield it for me..." WHAT? A proxy? A stand in? Her eyes narrowed, but before she could even voice her complaints Pegasus smirked. "Now now," he said with a smirk, Seto merely bristling even more at the expression. "I'll be using the cards myself! It doesn't change the fact that I'm your opponent you know..." Yes... Yes it damn well did!

 

She grit her teeth, fists clenched as she left the second duel disk in the box. "No," she shouted, standing confidently despite the clear advantage her opponent had over her. "You'll use the disk yourself Pegasus, and face me one on one! NOW!" She would not be refused. She would not...

 

He was chuckling. Pegasus stood to the side, gesturing toward the door and shaking his head. "No no no... You see, I already told you I'm no good at that... Here," he continued with an eerie smile, Seto's eyes widening considerably as the guard to the back began to walk forward. A chain was gripped tightly in his hands, the 'leash' in question disappearing around the corner. ' _Follow me_ ,' the guard stated with an underlying tone of anxiety, the chain slackening as dull footsteps padded across the ground. The guard continued forward, position blocking the other side of the chain for a moment. "As promised... I'll let you see sweet little 'Mokuba-Boy'..." Mokuba... The boy walked around the guard at that, eyes staring listlessly forward. What... What...

 

"Mokuba!" she shouted, charging forward only for the guard to block her way with a grin. Not even a response... Not even... Why wasn't he saying something... Anything! She looked around the guard at her brother with wide eyes, before turning on Pegasus with a snarl. "PEGASUS!" she roared, ignoring additionally enraged shouts from the side. "What did you do to my brother?!"

 

"Hnhnhnhnhn..." A card was pulled from the man's breast pocket, and as he held it forward she felt herself grow weak yet again. What was this... What was he doing... "His body can't speak to you," the man stated, Seto gritting her teeth in response. "In fact, he won't even respond... You see Kaiba-dear," he said with a reptilian smile, the woman staring as Pegasus flipped the card around to reveal its front. "I sealed his soul in this card..." What... What...

 

Mokuba's screaming image could be seen clearly across the card's surface, panicked face staring outward with wide eyes. His hands gripped the bars of his paper prison, and staring at it with wide and horrified eyes Seto couldn't even move. Sealed inside a card... What the hell was this? It was impossible, it had to be, and yet beyond all that she had proof right before her... There was... Nothing...

 

And he was still talking...

 

The bastard who did this still dared to speak... Holding her brother's body and soul, separate even... "The Mokuba before you is a mere shell," he stated, smirking as he handed the disk to the boy. "But there's enough of him in there to listen when given an order by me," Pegasus continued, emphasizing that last word with dark humour. "Now my dear... If you can defeat me, I'll free his soul from the card." Would he really? Just what proof did she have that he was anything more than an invasive, gall-less... "And then you and he will be free to go..." he trailed off, Seto continuing to seethe on the spot, shaking and biting her tongue to prevent from worsening the situation any more than it could. Curse him... Curse him... Mokuba didn't deserve that... He didn't... Leave him out of this! "Hnhnhnhn... That brings us back to our match," Pegasus stated, motioning the boy forward and placing a hand on his shoulder. Don't touch him... Don't even think of- "If you insist on challenging me with the duel disk," the man continued, handing his disk to her brother with a grin, "I nominate Mokuba-boy to throw the disk in my place~! A wonderful idea, wouldn't you say... Kaiba-dear..?" No...

 

She swallowed, staring at her brother's soulless eyes (Damn it, it was literal.. It was...) and suppressing a shudder. Damn it all... What was he doing? Asking her to fight Mokuba, her brother... After all that she'd done... After all that she'd... Her eyes narrowed as the man before her continued to smirk, having obviously gleaned those thoughts from her mind as well. Bastard... Bastard... That thing... That was the one thing she could never do!

 

And the man continued to chuckle, shouts from the side drowned out as he placed Mokuba's card back in his pocket. "Of course," he was saying with a low voice, the woman before him wishing she could simply push him off the side of the arena right now (8 or so meters, that had to do it right?). "If you don't like that idea, we can go back to my original plan and duel 'my way'..." Ghck... And of course, by his way, he would mean table-top duelling... A sure-fire way to lose, but she had to try! She had to... For her brother's sake...

 

"Pegasus,” she growled, stepping back from the panels in the arena with her hastily closed briefcase. "I'll accept your conditions... But it is I who will win!" The arena was cleared, the table and chairs appearing from within as her opponent merely chuckled darkly...

 

And moments after, the game began.

 

* * *

 

Merely moments before, the situation he'd seen in the arena was definitely not something he could see happening. Far from it, in fact... He'd expected foul play, some kind of mind-trick maybe given who it was. Hell, the worst he had imagined it getting was Pegasus possibly yelling to the world ' _Hey guess what, Seto Kaiba's a woman!_ ', but when he thought about it, Pegasus would probably just hang that over her head and taunt her with it.

 

Nonetheless his mood had been far from expectant of what was soon to come. "Alright," he had said, grinning as the group headed toward the door for the castle. Saruwatari was only just closing the doors up ahead, the only one remaining in the courtyard between the hectic events of the day. "Time to show Pegasus a thing or two!"

 

There had been no answer to that other than nods and grins, the door standing mere feet away from them at the moment. "I'll go first," Mai had decided turning to give the group a wink. "Knock 'em dead boys," she said with an almost alluring smile, before turning back to the door and continuing. "I'll see you inside..." The woman was stopped at the gate, along with everyone else, by the annoyingly familiar turn-coat guard.

 

"You again," he stated, arms crossed as he looked over the woman. He ignored the group only momentarily, but in the end apparently opted to address them as a whole. "You have all your starchips," he asked, Katsuya nodding in response.

 

"Yeah," he stated, watching as Mai stepped forward. As the man warned them about only three more people being allowed inside, he turned to Yugi. "Listen Yugi... You go next, alrigh'?"

 

Yugi in question turned, before nodding at the request. "Alright," he said with a smile, turning back to watch Mai place her ten chips in the lock. The device spun completely, computerized voice confirming the chips and allowing Mai to push past the door. Following after Yugi walked forward, holding his glove up for Saruwatari to see. "...I'm next," he stated somewhat confidently, chips giving off a dull glow in the lamplight. "Here... Ten starchips!"

 

The reaction was fairly expected... "W-What!" Saruwatari frowned, grabbing the boy's wrist and looking over the glove with a slight cough. The man hurriedly turned the glove over, ignoring glares from the others before dropping the boy's hand. "Tch... So you do..." He stood up, shaking his head and apparently banishing the thoughts from mind. Win some lose some really... "Alright then... Go right ahead!" Yugi again nodded, walking past and through the door with a nervous smile.

 

With those words Katsuya came up toward the man, a steady frown in place. "My turn," he stated, holding up his fist. "Here yah go; ten starchps!" Saruwatari nodded, and as Katsuya walked toward the door he dropped the frown and smiled. "Alright," he said with a stretch, waving back to them as he walked inside. "Later then-"

 

"Hey, hold on," the guard shouted, Katsuya turning around to stop in response. Saruwatari pointed almost accusingly at the three others who were about to walk in, each of them turning to laugh nervously in at the glare received. "Just where do you three think you're going?" Ahh hell, not this time. He scowled, walking back toward the door as Honda merely mocked the guard in response. ' _You say something,_ ' the teen was muttering, Anzu herself nervously saying ' _Er... Cheering section?_ ' Bakura nervously shrank back against the glare in the meantime, visibly biting his cheek.

 

' _FORGET IT,_ ' Saruwatari was shouting at the excuses, Honda rubbing his head and ear with annoyance at the outburst. _'ONLY COMPETITORS CAN ENTER!_ ' "Oh yeah?" Katsuya stated with a frown, tapping the man on the shoulder. As Saruwatari turned, the blond gave a dark scowl. "How about you shut up and deal with it for once!" A resounding crack came through the air as his fist slammed into the guard's nose, throwing the man back a few steps as he stumbled off the doorsteps. Taking advantage of the split second break, he took a more prepared stance. "Go on in guys," he muttered, ignoring Honda's mutterings of ' _I can deal with it just as well as you can..._ '. "Somethin' tells me Pegasus' isn' gonna disqualify me f'r this if he let a scumbag like Keith in..."

 

Before Honda could say anything, the teen's mouth was covered by a frowning and clearly nervous Bakura, who nodded in response. "Got it," he said, pushing him inside while Anzu took off after them. "Please hurry though, Jonouchi-kun!"

 

As the three rushed in past the open door, Saruwatari turned around with a livid scowl across his face. Broken sunglasses clattered to the ground as the man lightly felt his now shattered nose, blood staining his face and tie. "You..." Well... Someone wasn't too happy about that. Was it too much to have hoped the punch would knock him out?

 

Katsuya merely smirked darkly, dropping his bag to the ground as he stared the man down. He probably should have guessed really. "Yeah," he said with a shrug, shaking his hands off before curling them back into fists. "Figured I mind as well kill two birds with one stone, y'know?" The man merely growled, reaching into his pocket for something. Something black and... He tensed, watching as the guard fumbled over a radio. Ack! Shit not that! The blond charged, forcing Saruwatari to throw up a hurried block for the strike aimed toward his neck. The radio clattered to the ground harmlessly, its owner far less than pleased.

 

"Gh- Jonouchi," he growled, aiming a kick at the blond only for Katsuya to grab his shoulder for an easy flip to his back side and out of range. "Trust me when I say 'disqualification' would be mercy by this point!" Oh, like he wanted mercy from this guy! He merely snorted, dodging the punch the man sent his way when turning around and slamming a kick into his side in retaliation.

 

"Kinda figured," he shouted, grabbing the block Saruwatari threw again for his feint to land an uppercut beneath it. God, for all that this guy showed him up with in gun play... His hand-to-hand sucked. "But y'know what," he added, grunting sharply as a hit landed across his face. Ow ow ow... Teeth... He forced his knee into the man's gut, watching as the guard stumbled back in pain. Kay, shouldn't think before the battle's over... Spitting a bit of blood on the ground and wiping his cheek on his sleeve, Katsuya narrowed his eyes. "Honestly, I don' care... I've been waitin' t' do this f'r a while since that stunt you pulled back at th' duel box..." As Saruwatari looked up and attempted to regain his stance, Katsuya didn't even give him the time to react. Two hands balled into a 'volley ball' spike, slamming into the back of the man's skull as he continued to stumble backwards. Hah...

 

No backup, Katsuya noted with narrowed eyes, grunting as he nailed the man in the gut to force him back again. Too bad nh? Finally, as the man angrily charged him in a last attempt, the blond gave one last, sound kick to the man's face and watched him collapse to the ground with a groan. Face first he fell to the ground, remaining motionless save for breathing as he lay there. Katsuya stood there for a few seconds... A few minutes... There was nothing but silence in response, and only after he was certain the man wasn't moving he sighed.

 

"Hah..." Man... That felt pretty good. All the same though... He walked over, putting a hand on the guy's neck just to make sure. Didn't want to kill anyone after all... Annnnd yep, there was a pulse! He shook his head, giving a smirk as he stood and turned back to the still open door. Alrighty then! He grabbed his bag off the ground, chuckling to himself as he headed toward the entrance and disappeared inside. "Heh... Haven't done that in a while! You can count th' stars around yer head Saruwatari," he muttered with a grin, before closing it behind him with a resounding gong-like sound. "Maybe if yer smart, you won't be such a jack-ass next time!" Mannnnn... Letting off that steam made him feel a lot better he decided. Though he had to say, if... That was what a 'trained guard' did... "Man," he muttered under his breath, walking through the foyer to find the others. "No wonder Mokuba was so quick t' hire me..." Coming up to the others with a grin, he waved, putting the thoughts out of mind. "Oiii! How you doing?"

 

The others turned at the shouts, Mai smiling as she looked them over. Ignoring the question, she gave a curt nod before looking toward the far end of the hall. "Alright... Everybody made it then..."

 

He grinned, nodding furiously as Anzu eyed the slightly bloodied glove with a sigh. "Yep! Just as planned," he said, a few of the others staring incredulously in response.

 

"We had a 'plan'?" Anzu asked with a deadpan stare, Honda coming up and clapping her shoulder.

 

"You know," he said with a 'matter-of-fact' shrug, moving forward. "I kinda learned to not ask..."

 

The woman looked at him with a glance that mirrored her incredulous stare, silent for a few moments. "Hah... Yeah," she said with fairly evident sarcasm. "I guessed!" There was another sigh, before Anzu sent the thought to the back of her mind and turned back to the others. "Right! So," she said, following after Mai and Honda. "How about we move on then?"

 

Yugi nodded, turning to face the main hallway. "Yeah," he echoed, before taking off down the hall at full tilt. "Let's go!" Hey! Wait for him! Taking off after the boy the footsteps from the other soon came from behind, and before long the entire group was running at top speed to their destination. All other doors and such were sealed off completely far as he could tell. Despite this Katsuya noted, Yugi had a fairly clear idea of where to go. Coming down the hall took them to a wide and open set of twin staircases leading to a single hall upper foyer and floor. Charging up these stairs and through the only open door to the right however, took them to a hall with nothing but a single open entrance at the end. Walking through that particular path revealed a wide balcony of sorts rather than a hall or a 'room', the balcony itself facing an empty and expansive chamber. And waiting at the railing... "T-That's... That's Bandit Keith," Yugi shouted, the American in question turning to smirk.

 

"Hah! Well what a damn surprise," he drawled, chuckling as he continued to lean against the railing. "So you morons made it to the castle?" Katsuya growled, holding his tongue for a second before letting it loose anyways.

 

"Yeah Keith, we did... Thanks f'r nothing with th' cave asshole!" As Mai merely raised her eyebrows (' _What's this about_ ,' she was muttering), he continued to stalk toward the man with narrowed eyes. His good mood... Was completely trashed yet again. Damn it..."I'm gonna rip out your god-damned throat you-"

 

"Oh keep your pants on why don't you!" He scowled as the American waved him off, continuing. "Fuck... Show's about to start, you can whine later!" Show? He frowned, stopping in his tracks a mere

few feet away from the man. What show... Keith turned back to the room below the balcony, continuing. "Take a look," he said with a grin. "Rich-guy's about to get his ass handed to him!" Wait what. He looked over the railing, eyes widening as he looked over the empty room. The floor sunk at least ten meters below the tower and platform in the center, the only ways out to it a pair of 'bridges' that were currently non-existent. This was...

 

As the others came near the railing as well to look over, he swallowed. That arena... It was... "Damn," he muttered under his breath, watching as two 'bridges' began to move from either side of the room. "That thing's th' exact same as..."

 

"Death-T..." Yugi stared, before his eyes widened further. Identical in almost every way, all they were missing was the crowd of not so bright hundreds. "Ah-... Jonouchi-kun," he said, leaning over the railing slightly. "Look..!" The boy didn't need to tell him twice, Katsuya's eyes already trained on the left bridge. Yeah... He saw. The blond stared, watching as Seto steadily made her way across the still moving bridge before reaching the end just as it locked into the arena. The woman stood there, narrowing her eyes and staring at the door across from her in silence. He had a fairly good idea who she was waiting for.

 

"You're just in time," Keith was saying with a grin, turning to the group with another harsh chuckle. The others paid him no mind, regardless of how loud he was. "We get to watch a duel between Pegasus and Kaiba! Hehehehe..." Shit... So Seto had gone against Yugi... Only to end up in another all or nothing match? What the hell was the point of that besides exhausting her even more?

 

A voice came from the side, and they turned as another of Pegasus' hired hands came forward. The man had a thick patch of gauze on the left side of his face, but regardless of injury seemed to act as though everything was fine. As to where the injury was from... Not a clue. "That's right," he stated with a smile, coming up and addressing the group. "It's good to see that all of the contestants are here in one group! Welcome to Pegasus Castle!" Still smiling, he briefly looked over the others with his hands folded behind his back. "And it looks as though we have a few uninvited guests here as well," he began, Katsuya and the others tensing at those words. Shit, don't tell him that they'd be kicked out now... It was one thing with Saruwatari, but he couldn't just pummel mooks all day! The smile remained in place however, the man merely giving a slight nod. "Well," he stated calmly, "I suppose we can prepare extra rooms and meals!" They stared, eyes wide. S...Seriously..? They were allowed... The man gestured off to the side, back at the arena before continuing. "In any case, we present you this special match! A welcome and a... 'Preview' of sorts from Pegasus-sama," he stated calmly, the others following his gesture to look back down below. "For you proud gamers who survived the Duelist Kingdom... And for those who followed along as well."

 

At the man's words Pegasus appeared on the arena below, flanked for a moment by two men before walking forward with only one. The same man who greeted them was now leaving the room to some other task, but watching the exchange below he couldn't be bothered by that. "Damn it..." He narrowed his eyes, watching as the woman grew steadily angrier in whatever conversation she was having with the man. "There's gotta be a catch... There's no way Pegasus is just gonna agree to use th' disk system, it'd kill his entire strategy..."

 

Yugi turned, frowning. "You mean... Kaiba-san's disk system really will work..?" He kept his voice down, the others merely looking down at the arena in curiosity. "I know that Kaiba-san built it for this reason," he continued with a light frown, "But that it would be able to work around the Millennium Eye is..."

 

He nodded, also frowning slightly. "Yeah well... Back when I got th' tape from Pegasus," he began, swallowing nervously, "Soon as he mentioned th' key, I put as much distance b'tween me an' th' screen. It seemed t' work," the blond continued, eyes narrowing as he thought back. "I can't be too sure but... He definitely seemed annoyed enough by it. An' he didn' figure out where th' key was, jus' that I had it..." Katsuya turned to Yugi with those words, watching as the boy blinked again and smiled.

 

"Don't worry," he whispered reassuringly, giving a small nod. "It's safe." Alright... He as well nodded, sighing in relief. That was all he needed to know really. Looking back down at the arena as Pegasus turned their way, Katsuya put up a determined and encouraging smirk. He didn't know if Seto would really appreciate it but... "Kaiba-san!" Yugi shouted, a similar expression on his face as he leaned over the railing. "Go for it! For Mokuba-kun!"

 

Katsuya as well gave a shout, nodding in agreement with his friend as his encouraging grin grew further. "Don't wait any longer, S- KAIBA! He's waiting for yah!" Though the woman did not nod or give any distinct sign of listening, Katsuya had to stare- she... Did she smile..?

 

...Nah... Couldn't have. He stopped blinking, watching as the exchange between Pegasus and Seto both continued. Pegasus' 'issues' with the duel disk could almost be humorous. Almost. He grit his teeth, watching as the exchange continued on before tensing as the guard from inside Pegasus' door came out.

 

"Oh my god," Anzu muttered from the side, the others following her gaze. " _Oh my god_ it's the same as..." The blond stared, shouts in the distance fading as he moved past the others to get a better look over the railing. Keith's damn body was in the way, but as soon as he was around it and beside the others...

 

"No..." He... It couldn't be, he was just... Just tired right? He wasn't...

 

Katsuya grew pale, sounds and sights blurring into a slowed freeze-frame as the nightmare from the night before beat its way to his mind yet again. ' _Where is he I wonder,'_ Pegasus was saying again, regardless of the fact that he was right in front of them now. ' _Try looking in your deck...'_ Pegasus was pulling something out of his pocket... A card... A...

 

_'Or are you scared..?'_

 

The expression on Seto's face was all he needed for time to snap back into reality along with his thoughts. Held back only by the well played foresight of both Honda and Bakura, he struggled, hands gripping the railing as he went red with rage. That... That monster... Screwing with his head and it turns out that...

 

"PEGASUS!" His voice echoed around the room as he was pulled from the railing, attempts to charge it barely stopped by Honda's grip as Bakura nervously attempted to hold onto his own. "YOU BASTAAAARD! I'M MAKE YOU F-GnhH! _MGGGGMN_!" Honda's hand clapped firm over his mouth, the blond uncaring about the stunned stare that Mai was giving, the cruel and wheezing chuckle that Keith had for the situation. He struggled against Honda's hold as he was pulled back, back past the vases that lined the second entrance to the room, far back into an unlit hall and far from the events in the arena.

 

"DAMN IT JONOUCHI, " Honda hissed, slamming the blond against the wall. He struggled against the hold, pushing forward only to be slammed back yet again in retaliation. Again he attempted to push against Honda's hold, struggling to find some way to get down there to just smash Pegasus' face into the nearest wall as many times as he possibly could, before being thrown back yet again. "Pipe down and calm down!" the teen continued, finally pinning the blond with his arm by the throat with heavy and struggled breaths. "Calm down before you get everyone killed!"

 

The blond breathed deeply, eyes flicking off to the door. "Honda," he stated with an eerily calm tone, staring at his friend with wide and incensed eyes. "Let me go- _GHN_!" Again he was slammed against the wall, shaking his head and wincing. "HONDA," he said again, raising his voice before his head met the wall yet again. "AC _CGH_! God damn it Honda, stop that!"

 

"No! I won't," his friend hissed under his breath, leaning in slightly. "If you didn't guess you moron, Pegasus did that to get on both yours and Kaiba's nerves, and at this point going after him and proving he succeeded will do nothing but make things worse!" Before the blond could respond to that, Honda continued, lowering his voice from the hissed and whispering shout to a more composed point. "Listen," he stated, not easing his hold on Katsuya. "I know you're pissed; hell so am I! I owe that kid my life, and you know it! And after how I acted at Bakura's place," he continued, both teens thinking back to the 'monster world' events with a mental shudder, "I owe him more than anything... He did real good back then... A lot better than I did, that's for sure. But the fact is, if we act now," Honda said with a worried frown, shaking his head. "If we try anything even remotely similar to our normal tactics... Jonouchi, we're screwed. Plain and simple." Katsuya stared, silent for a moment before Honda continued yet again. "Look," he whispered, lowering his voice even more than it already was. "You and I both know that Pegasus will do all it takes to keep us from getting to him. And," he continued, moving his headband out of his eyes and taking a nervous glance down the hall, "We also know that his eye does the same thing as, maybe even more, than Bakura's ring... Which means he could probably take our souls any time he wants!"

 

He growled, pushing against Honda's arm with narrowed eyes. "I got that," he muttered, struggling again. What did he think happened to Mokuba? And when he got through with the bastard he would make him regret every damn thing! "But that doesn't mean I can't go down there and-"

 

"Yes it does, now shut up for a second and listen!" Katsuya bit his tongue, doing just that as Honda slowly removed his arm from the blond's neck. "Look," he said, face barely visible in the dark hall. "You can't forget that he has the body and soul in a different place... That's how he got us here isn't it?" Before Katsuya could say anything to that, the teen clarified. "He took Sugoroku-jii's soul, and took Mokuba completely... But," he continued, narrowing his eyes "He 'apparently' offered them back, should either you or Yugi win... If you do anything now," Honda stated with a steady frown, "He'll

probably call you on it and take you out right off the bat- he wants your key, but he doesn't necessarily have to beat you in a duel to get it!"

 

Another growl, and Katsuya rubbed his head. "Yeah, I got that, but it's like y' said, he could do it anytime he wants right?"

 

Honda nodded, frowning. "Yeah... But this way he can mess with your head... So he's not touching you until he absolutely has to," he continued, crossing his arms. "And if that's really the case, it means that if you play along through the duels, there's a chance you can avoid getting both the key and your soul snatched. Not to mention," he added dryly, smacking the blond upside the head. " _EVERYONE ELSE_!"

 

"Ow, fuck! I got it!" He growled again, before sighing and rubbing his head. "Shit... I just... I..." He swallowed, shaking himself and looking toward the hall. "He's right there... Chained up, with Pegasus using him like a living doll... It... It's just... Worse than even Bakura's you know..."

 

Another nod from the side, Honda's own sour expression falling. "Yeah... Listen," he said, turning to the blond with a determined stare. "You and Yugi handle the souls; I don't know how we'll get around this whole 'mind-reading' deal, but the fact is, you both have the best shot. So focus on the duels, and stay out of everything else until the time is right. Me on the other hand," he continued, his friend blinking in response. "I'm gonna look for where he's keeping Mokuba's body first chance I get tonight."

 

The blond stared momentarily, before nodding. "Got it... Honda..."

 

His friend merely smirked. "Hey," he said, hands in his pockets. "I have a nephew you know... Might not be quite the same as a brother or a 'mostly brother'," he added with a raised eyebrow, "But it's close. I don't know how pissed you are," the teen continued, turning to look at the door a moment. "But all the same, no matter what, we've got to keep a cool head on this. Not to mention a clear one," he added with a wink, before a resigned Katsuya followed him toward the hall exit. Hahaha, 'clear head'...

 

He'd almost laugh at that... "Yeah yeah..." He rolled his eyes, attempting to inwardly calm down more than just what he appeared to have done. (Damned Pegasus... Gonna wring his pasty neck, he swore it...) "Jesus Honda, you're worse than Anzu..."

 

He snorted, giving a shrug in response. "Hah! You leave me to deal with her long enough," Honda said with a smirk, turning to face the hall exit. "You can blame yourself for that! Any ways... Any ideas on how to get around 'mind reading'," he asked offhandedly, raising his eyebrows. Katsuya shrugged, smirking as he decided not to put much thought into it for the moment. More thought into beating the crap out of Pegasus. Those were good thoughts...

 

"Eh," he decided with a shrug. "I dunno... ...How about 'don't think'?"

 


	16. Broken Promises

 

It was 'Duel Start'.

 

Seto took a seat at the table, narrowing her eyes as Pegasus set his own at the side and took a seat as well. "The game will be played using standard duel monster's rules," he stated calmly, the guards standing behind him with Mokuba. The boy was merely staring blankly at her, eyes dull and faded and forcing her to turn back to look at her opponent with an only slightly hidden scowl. "Do you agree?" he 'asked', the woman across from him narrowing her eyes as the 'request'. As if she could refuse! Just get on with it! Pegasus smiled, crossing his arms. "Wonderful~! Now then," he continued, still smiling. "Prepare your deck..."

 

As he said those words, Yugi's voice sounded over the air again, the boy leaning far over the edge of the balcony as he shouted. "Kaiba-san!" he called, the woman turning with a slight frown in response. What was it? The duel was about to start, what could possibly be more important at the moment? She had to prepare herself. She was about to duel someone who could apparently read minds... And steal souls... Who knew what the hell else, regardless of common sense and the laws of reality! She grit her teeth, before tensing at the boy's next few words. "Pegasus has a Dragon Capture Jar!” he shouted, eyes wide with worry as a few on the balcony turned to him in confusion. Some of them were gone... Where was the blond?

 

Seto shook it off, steeling herself yet again. Back to the matter at hand. She turned back to her deck, closing her eyes briefly in an attempt to gather herself. Dragon Capture Jar. With that in Pegasus' deck, she had a feeling that even her Blue Eyes would be struck down... And knowing Pegasus herself she was almost certain of it, particularly with the look the man was now giving her. An overconfident smirk that put a scowl on her own face, and said clearly _'I know what you're thinking'_. Tch...

 

No matter what the strategy, she was fighting with Blue Eyes either way; they were her cards, her prized possession... And with those dragons, she would defeat Pegasus! Listening as a faint ' _Be careful, Kaiba-san,_ ' came from the top balcony she gave a mental snort. Hn! She was always cautious with her dueling. And this wasn't like last time... This time she would win with the advantage. Now then.

 

"Duel start," she muttered, watching as Pegasus drew his hand while she herself drew her own. She looked across the board, Pegasus smiling. She hadn't looked at her cards just yet... Better to see what her opponent would do first.

 

"Well then," the man began, taking a card from his hand. He'd probably 'heard' that. "I'll go first! Hnnn..." He placed a card on the field, smiling oddly. "I'll play Toon Alligator in defense mode," he stated, the growling and oddly proportioned lizard appearing from the card. 'Toons'... Obviously not cards that he'd released anytime recently. "In addition," he stated, Seto mentally wondering how the hell this moron had programmed these cards into the devices without her knowledge to begin with, "I will play one card face down... That's it for me," he finished with a cheery grin, waving his hand before leaning back.

 

Hnn... Low level monster in defense, face down card... Trap, she wondered with a frown. Or was it a spell... Either way, it was almost putting a sign up and saying ' _I have nothing_!' Though this was Pegasus... "It's my turn," she stated, drawing her card. Staring at it she blinked, forcing herself not to look at Pegasus as a loose strategy formed. She didn't know how this mind thing worked. But her best guess was that it was by looking her in the eye, and provided that was all it was she had a chance. After all she reminded herself, strengthening the theory. The time Pegasus had spoken to her at the duel, and before when she had Crocketts hostage, that was what she'd been doing, wasn't it? There was a chance... She started at the card a few moments more, before deciding on her move. Blue Eyes... Her first draw was the dragon itself, and somehow she could hardly say that was a coincidence! She could open with an all out attack, but at the same time, Yugi's warning needed to be heeded. For all she knew, that trap in front of her was the Dragon Capture Jar... Or, it was in Pegasus' hand? Hell, she didn't even know if it was a trap, it was just her best guess! "Hnn... I'll play a face down card too," she decided in the end, not looking up from the board as she did just that. "And then," she continued, placing another on the board, "I play Rude Kaiser!" The armed and menacing lizard appeared in a flash, sharpening the blades on his wrists against each other with a grin. "Attack the Alligator," she ordered, the monster rushing toward a now panicking cartoon lizard with a snarl.

 

The Kaiser's blades tore through his opponent, Pegasus giving a mock groan as he held his head in one hand. "Oh nooooo~" he cried, the monster below misting out of existence whilst the Rude Kaiser returned to its side of the field. Pegasus continued to sigh, Seto twitching slightly in annoyance.

 

Oh shut up... "My turn's over," she growled, the man before her continuing to 'fret'. Across from her, Pegasus was now looking over his hand. _'Hnn... So your card has 1800 attack,_ ' he was muttering, opponent growling in response. ' _What do I do...'_

 

Pegasus drew his card, before grinning. "Ohh~ I've got it," he cried, taking the card and placing it on the table. "Here's a card that can beat you! Parrot Dragon," he shouted, the bird-headed dragon appearing on the field with an obnoxious squawk. Parrot Dragon..? What the hell was that thing... "Do your best~! Attack!" She flipped a card over, still not looking up from the board as Parrot Dragon rushed forward. Well, she wasn't about to take the first strike.

 

"Before that," she stated, a small pendulum appearing above the card, "I activate my spell." Ignoring the sound of shock (She was almost certain it was fake...), she explained. "Mesmeric control," she continued, the Parrot Dragon spinning on his feet. "It'll reduce your monster's attack by 800 points!" As the Parrot Dragon collapsed to the ground in a daze, she looked down upon her own monster. "Now, Rude Kaiser!" With a growl and a nod the lizard charged, slicing Parrot Dragon's head clean from its body with a single swift strike. The monster misted away into nothingness, Rude Kaiser again returning to her side of the field. "Take that!"

 

"Oh nooooo..." She'd made the first hit. Pegasus would have 1400 points left. She risked a look up, her opponent 'apparently' facing the table himself. Tch... She grit her teeth, knowing full well that the man before her was not grieving in anyway. Bastard... Was he even taking this fight seriously! He was better than this... He'd created the game, he had to be...

 

She narrowed her eyes, fixing her gaze on the table again. Alright. Serious or no, she needed to win. If Pegasus' actions led to his downfall, then it would mean Mokuba would be freed... "It's my turn again," she stated, drawing a card and glancing at it. And though it was just a hunch, she was fairly certain that Pegasus did not have the Dragon Capture Jar in his hand for the moment. With that being the case, it would be safe to play her dragon. Grabbing the card however, Pegasus' voice suddenly came over the board.

 

"Stop," he ordered, Seto tensing slightly. Tch... What was it? She refused to look up from the board, eyes cast down to her side of the field even as the man before her began to speak. "Don't move," he stated calmly, grabbing the card he had on the table. "Don't show me your card... I'm activating this trap for the moment..." A trap! She swallowed, listening as Pegasus flipped the card over and continued. "The card I played was 'Prophecy," he stated, the woman again swallowing in response. Shit... She didn't know what that card did either. It figured she would be against cards she'd never heard of... This wasn't good at all. "Using this card," Pegasus was explaining, expression unseen to his opponent, "I can predict the attack points of the card you were about to play... I'm going to guess if it's more, less, or equal to 2000... And," he continued, Seto barely hiding the tenseness she felt under her opponent's gaze with those words, "If I guess correctly... That card is mine..." Shit... Shit... "I not only predict that your card has more than 2000 attack points," Pegasus stated, the woman across from him gritting her teeth. Shit... Shit! She'd averted her gaze the entire time, if he somehow knew what her cards were... "I predict you're about to play the Blue Eyes White Dragon, with 3000 attack..." Gh... She tensed, growling before taking the card from her hand. Her dragon... How dare he take her... Gh... She continued to growl, placing the card on the table and watching as Pegasus took the card to the other side. "Hnhnhnhnhn!~ My my my Kaiba-dear~," the man said with his usual exaggerated optimism. "I never thought I'd get your Blue Eyes White Dragon~"

 

"Tch..." She bit back a growl, instead gripping her cards tightly. And she would have never imagined that there was a card that could actually steal the card as opposed to taking it! Damn it... Her eyes drifted toward Mokuba, the woman swallowing before hardening her resolve. Damn it... A promise. She'd promised to take care of Mokuba... And she would do just that! She promised... She would beat Pegasus and get him back! Before this man got the chance to play the Blue-Eyes!

 

Across from her Pegasus was still chuckling, one hand at his face in a mock attempt to silence the sound. "Well then," he decided, opponent still refusing to look the man in the eye. There was still a chance. Despite the uncanny guess, even she knew that Blue-Eyes was her 'obvious' card so to speak... Pegasus could have acted on a guess, rather than his 'mind reading' scheme. All the same though, the fact that he'd guessed... "I'll just draw my card and end my turn," he finished, the turn-set coming to Seto once more. Calm down... She had to calm down...

 

Even if he used her dragon, she had a card in her hand that would make him regret ever doing just that! Drawing her card, she continued to hold her stare at the table with a frown. "I put Rude Kaiser in defense mode," she stated, shifting the card sideways. She didn't have the second half of the 'combo' just yet. She had to wait... "I end my turn.."

 

"My turn then~!" The sound of cards being shifted could be heard, her opponent drawing his next card. Pegasus had her dragon... But would he play it? There was no reason for him not to right now, yet all the same... She continued to stare at the table in thought, eyes narrowed. If he didn't, he would

probably be preparing another trap. Keeping her thoughts cleared in case the man did read minds without eye contact, she continued to attempt at calming herself down. Her strategy was set... That was all she would tell herself, and all that Pegasus would know. Her strategy was more than enough for this... Across from her, Pegasus had grown silent for a moment. Merely staring forward, hands folded in front of him after placing the card back in his hand. Finally he spoke, opponent's eyes trained on the board in wait. "I'll play one card face down," the man stated, before placing another on the table. "And I play this in defense mode! Dark Rabbit!" A wickedly grinning monster appeared on the board, the Dark Rabbit standing in a hunched position as Seto raised her eyebrows in response.

 

' _My turn is over_ ,' Pegasus had stated, the woman across from him narrowing her eyes. He didn't play the dragon... Instead he'd used another of his toons. Well then! "Alright," she called out, drawing her next card and mentally nodding. Time to move! "It's my turn!" Placing the two cards on the table, she continued to fix her glare at the board as opposed to Pegasus himself. The card behind Dark Rabbit was a bit worrisome but she had no time to think about that..! "I'll sacrifice Saggi the Dark Clown, activating the trap Crush Card Virus! And that'll destroy your entire deck," she continued, flipping over the cards as Saggi began to turn a poisonous shade of violet in reaction to the trap. Pegasus, however, had another idea it seemed. Shit... Trap?

 

"I activate my face down spell card~," he stated cheerily, Seto tensing in response. Gh... What! Spell card..! "And the card is," he stated darkly, "Negative Energy! This card," he continued, a large black orb appearing on the center of the field from still another card unfamiliar to her, "Doubles the attack of all 'Dark Monster's including yours, 'Kaiba-dear~' In other words," he said with a wicked grin, "Your clown's attack value becomes 1200..." The woman swallowed, watching as Saggi suddenly cleared of his poisons effect and shook himself off. No... Saggi needed to have less than 1000 for the trap to take effect, this meant-! "And that's not all," Pegasus added darkly, Seto still refusing to look up from the board. Shit... "My Dark Rabbit is also a dark monster after all! Its attack doubles too~ Now rabbit," he ordered, the man's opponent growing pale as she calculated the damage. 2200 against 1200... 1000 damage right off the bat! "Murder the Dark Clown!" The rabbit bounded across the table with its wicked grin, socking the other monster in the face. Saggi's form misted out of existence, its master's lifepoints splitting clean in two as Dark Rabbit returned to the opposite field. Shit... This was bad... A bead of sweat ran down her face as she stared numbly at the board, attempting to swallow back her fear to focus on the duel. She was half dead in one attack...

 

And Pegasus still had her Blue Eyes in his hand! This man... She narrowed her eyes, finally looking up and fixing a glare on him. Obviously he didn't rely on 'eye contact' at all! Which meant that she was literally stuck between a rock and a hard place. Yet if Mokuba was to ever get out of this alive, she had to... She grit her teeth, staring across at Pegasus' 'Dark Rabbit'. Tch... He was probably reading her mind right now... But at the same time, she couldn't let this stop her! She would win, even with the disadvantage she was now at! Even when her thoughts were no longer private! "Hn!" She drew her card, adding it to her hand with a growl. "I'm not through yet, Pegasus," she spat with a glare. Looking across at the monster she was against however, she knew that nothing in her hand would hold out against it. Time to gather the shield, she decided with a wince."I play another card in defense mode," she stated, placing the Battle Ox on the field. The monster appeared in a crouched position, seated directly beside the Rude Kaiser. "It's your move..."

 

"My turn?" Pegasus chuckled darkly, drawing his card with a smile. "Well then! How about we chat... The duel will be just boring otherwise~" And how about she ram his entire deck down his throat instead, she thought with narrowed eyes. She didn't enjoy 'idle chatter' when she was in a good mood let alone moments like this. Make the play... Just make the play... "Tsk tsk tsk... So impatient! Really Kaiba-dear," the man said with a sigh, shaking his head. "Speak up! You're no good at this at all~ How about I go first," he continued with a smile, apparently ignoring the copious amounts of curses to his name running through the mind of his opponent. "Do you like cartoons at all?" She didn't answer, merely narrowing her eyes. If he said. One more word. About the damn toons he was playing... "Hnhnhnhnhnhn... I'll take that as a 'no'," Pegasus decided, merely waving off his opponent's anger as he continued. Shut up... "Well, not so for me!~ I love them," he said with a grin, eye closing with the apparent memory. "I remember growing up as a boy, watching 'Funny Rabbit' every Saturday morning~ All those characters running around on the T.V .," he stated with a sigh. "They were my best friends back then!" The woman merely stared in response to that, brow twitching. Well, at least that explained one thing about Pegasus'... Eccentricities. "To this day," Pegasus was continuing, nostalgic smile becoming a fox's smirk that had his opponent frowning, "They run around in the little garden of my heart... They never betray me, and they never die... And now my dear Kaiba," the man continued, smirk growing into a grin, "I'm going to invite you to that world..." Oh fuck that didn't sound good. This was going to be completely- "I'm going to play this... Toon World!"

 

Seto's eyes instantly flicked down to the bottom of the card, reading it with a frown. ' _All player's cards become Toon cards, this is a continuous effect_ '... Great. Which probably meant he built the entire damn thing around supporting that... There was probably a catch too. Actually a number of catches, given who this was. The woman tensed as the thought came to mind however, eyes widening when the large book above the Toon World card appeared. Black Rabbit... It was gone... "Gh..." She stared, free hand clenching into a fist as she scanned the board. "Where..."

 

Pegasus chuckled, giving a mock shrug as the illusionary book that appeared on the field slammed shut. "Well," he stated calmly, "All my cards are Toons after all... They live in the Toon World! If you don't see them," he continued, tone darkening considerably, "They must be hiding inside..." The man's smirk became a frightening grin, opponent tensing more so as he looked toward the book. "I'm sure you'll see them soon enough though... Dark Rabbit," he 'called', the book opening to a new page. "Are you there? ATTACK!" From within the pages of the book the rabbit's twisted form charged appeared, coming out from the pop-up forest on the open page. Dark Rabbit's hands were formed into fists, and with one single strike he had the Battle Ox knocked out of his defensive crouch. Tch... It jumped from the book! "The battle Ox goes down," Pegasus was shouting with a cheer, Seto watching rigidly as the rabbit disappeared back into the book. She couldn't attack the spell card using the standard system! Shit... "My my," her opponent said with a drawling tone, voice far betraying the sinister grin on his face. "My shy little rabbit went back in the book again... And now that the book is closed up, he's completely out of harm's way!" Damn it...

 

She couldn't attack him even if she drew a card to overpower the damn rabbit! "Tch..." She drew her next card, eyes narrowing once again. "For my turn," she stated with a growl, placing the card she'd drawn on the board, "I'll place a card face down. With that, I'm done," she continued, biting her tongue. Shit... She had nothing at the moment. What the hell would get around that book... "Hnhnhnhnhn... Ahh yes... Well," he began, drawing his next card. Given his expression he was more than enjoying the clear advantage he now had. Bastard... "It's my turn isn't it? How about I show you something interesting Kaiba-dear..." Seto frowned, watching as Pegasus pulled a card from his hand and flipped it around with a wicked smirk. "This," he stated, the woman across from him narrowing her eyes as the card gave a dull shine in the light. "Is the Blue-Eyes White Dragon I got from you..." No... Nooooo... Don't do it... She read that card's description, and if that meant what she thought... "See what happens when I play it," Pegasus continued, placing the card on the table. No no no no no, not when the field spell was in- The book slammed open, a ridiculously 'rubbery' and misproportioned version of her dragon popping out with a 'grin'. "It's a Blue-Eye's Toon Dragon! AHAHAHH~!" WHAA _AAAT NO_. NO! She bit back a growl, staring with wide eyes at the... Thing her opponent turned the dragon into. What... What did he do to it! It looked ridiculous! Did it actually have a pupil in its eye? How the hell was it supposed to fight with those teeth, it couldn't even close it's mouth it- "Hnhnhnhnhn..." And of course he was having plenty of fun doing this to her! "All my monsters become residents of Toon World," he stated with a smile, folding his hands over. "I'm just that accepting! What do you think Kaiba-dear? So much more lovable than before isn't it?" No it damn well wasn't! Turn it back! "NOW," he cried, the dragon rearing it's head back to charge a ridiculously large blast of energy. "Toon Attack!" A miniature explosion occurred on the field, Seto's second defense monster biting the dust. "Rude Kaiser is blown to pieces!~" Gh..!

 

Seto's eyes narrowed dangerously, fists clenching as the 'toon dragon' skipped back around the book, seeing no point in bothering with its closed pages. 'Toon' dragon had all the power of her Blue-Eyes... But to take an already perfect card and do that! Bastard... Daring to take her dragon... And do... That to it! "Hmmm..." Pegasus was looking at her with an overly smug stare, eye narrowed in what was likely cruel mirth for the moment. "So angry Kaiba-dear! You must fix that temper..." Shut up! And get the hell out of her head damn it! She folded her hand, closing her eyes. Alright. That was it... Screw strategy. That obviously wasn't working, and quite honestly she'd rather put her faith in chance than deal with this.

 

"Pegasus," she stated, forcing her tone to remain neutral as she calmed herself down. Breath in and out... In and out... Damn it she was tired... "You obviously know what cards I have already... So I'm going to discard my entire hand," she continued, evening the small pile she held before dropping it beside her deck. Pegasus' eye widened just slightly more in curiosity, the woman across from him merely fixing a narrowed stare back at him in response. "I'm not just going to sit here while you make a joke out of my deck, and tell me what I'm going to play... Instead," she stated, vision blurring slightly as exhaustion began to slowly creep in again before being pushed back by grit determination alone, "I'm going to draw one card from the top of my deck... One completely unknown card that I don't know..." A card that Pegasus wouldn't know either, not that it seemed to disturb the man in any way... "And I'll play it in attack mode!" she shouted, drawing her card. Don't fail her now... Eyes stared across at the board, and in one swift motion she placed it on the field. "Watch," she shouted, the table reacting to the card's presence and allowing the monster to materialize in that instant. Don't fail her... "This card that I place my faith in..." A mere glance told her she had succeeded, but despite the draw her expression remained unchanged. "THE BLUE EYES WHITE DRAGON!"

 

A fearsome roar echoed around the arena as the dragon appeared, white scales shimmering into existence. Rather than remaining 'table sized' oddly enough however, it instead held the size of a large dog, hovering behind her almost protectively as it gave a low growl toward the opponent. Hnn... Interesting... ' _Oooooh,'_ Pegasus was saying in the background, voice seeming rather distant for the moment. ' _Wonderful job Kaiba-dear~ Wonderful! Drawing another blue-eyes... How lucky~'_ Whatever, she mentally muttered, ignoring the man to look at her dragon. Just shut up and let her think... Privately. Blue-Eyes turned its head, giving a quiet croon and rubbing its head against her side for a moment. Just a hologram of course... She didn't feel anything, just watched as the dragon moved. This was just a hologram, a solid creation made entirely of light. But even so...

 

She hadn't programmed that. Briefly, her gaze softened, the woman still staring at her monster. The dragon, while a mere collection of light, seemed a little less... 'Computerized'. For the moment... Abruptly she turned to look forward, eyes narrowed as a scowl reappeared on her face. She'd summoned the dragon for a reason after all... Only one thing to do! "You say you feel my anger Pegasus?" she asked, snorting as the dragon beside her leered at Pegasus' own sad excuse. Feeling and reading thoughts... Disgusting. "Hah! I'll show you what true anger is! Changing my proud dragon into THAT pathetic joke," she sneered, Pegasus' own dragon still hovering behind the Toon World book with a grin. "I'll never forgive you!" As Pegasus merely smirked on response, she pointed her dragon forward. The only way, unfortunately... "Here goes," Seto called out, the dragon giving a vicious roar in response. "It's my turn! BLUE-EYES, ATTACK!" Forgive her Blue-Eyes... But she wanted the sorry excuse on her opponent's side of the field to be gone as soon as possible! "BURST STREAM!" The attack was charged. Blue-Eyes reared on its hind legs, standing on the ground beside Seto's chair as it prepared to attack. White light crackled into view, gathering in the beast's maw as the dragon took aim. With a thundering roar the attack was fired, the toon counterpart watching and panicking as it came closer... And closer... Closer...

 

And missed. The toon dragon bent itself into an impossibly stretched tube, bending over and around the stream of white lightening with ease as it came within range. The beam crackled out of existence, the dragon beside her closing its mouth with a snap.

 

"What..." It evaded... It damn well... She clenched her fists, looking across the field with wide eyes she growled. Beside her, the dragon doing the same as their opponent's monster stretched back into place and gave a silent grin. What the hell was with this! She couldn't attack... Even if she could it would dodge! What kind of spell was this..!

 

"Hnhnhnhn..." Pegasus gained the same nostalgic smile from before as he spoke, hands once more held out to recount some story that she wanted nothing to do with. "Did you know," the man was asking, opponent merely gritting her teeth in response. "There were five hundred and eighty three episodes of Funny Rabbit... And in the entire series," he stated, Seto wanting him to just stop talking for ten seconds at least, "According to someone who counted, Funny Rabbit's rivals the 'Bulldog Police' fired over 26,000 bullets at our hero~" She did not have a hero in some stupid looking rubber rabbit! Just shut up! The growl continued as Pegasus spoke on, turning back to Seto with a narrowed and almost villainous smile. "But you know Kaiba-dear... Not a single one ever hit him! A miracle!" On the board the Toon World book continued to hover in place, as did the 'Toon Dragon'. Given this monologue... She had a feeling she knew what Pegasus was going to say. "As long as Toon World is on the board," Pegasus stated with a smile, the expression continuing to darken further while Seto's own grew pale, "Everything I play becomes a cartoon! And nothing can hurt... Or kill... A toon," the man continued, a dangerous tone entering his voice. "They are the perfect lifeforms!" G...Ghng...

 

"Rnnnnnn..." Seto seethed on the spot as she stared across at the board. Perfect? Pah! A cheap shield behind a single spell card wasn't perfect... No... This was a stalemate. The bastard had her in a stalemate using cheap tricks that involved dodging every hit that came from the other way! She crossed her arms, scowling as it moved back to Pegasus' turn. The man was drawing his card now, simply looking over it with the same dark smirk in place. Damn it... All the same, a stalemate held one advantage; her opponent couldn't do anything either. The Blue-Eyes and the Toon Dragon were equal in power to each other- If the toon attacked, then it would be taken out as well. A grim, but otherwise helpful move... But Pegasus wasn't about to do that. She was pretty sure of that anyways, given that he seemed to be finding every loophole possible using that damn spell card.

 

Across from her, Pegasus was silent for a few moments longer than normal. The man's eye was narrowed with some unseen emotion, staring toward her and eliciting a deeper scowl from her. Stop flipping through her head like a book... That or staring blankly, though she had a feeling it was the former. Finally Pegasus made his move, averting his gaze from Seto and moving one of the cards from his hand. "I'll play this card," he stated, placing a spell on the board as the 'Toon World' book flipped sideways. "Toon World," Pegasus cheered, the book opening up and flipping through the pages rapidly. "Let's tell a new story~! How about... SHINE PALACE!" The book's pages stopped, a blinding gold castle rising from the covers. Definitely not the forest she saw before... What the hell was this about, she thought with a glare, watching as as Pegasus' Black Rabbit fizzled from existence in the golden light. Turning to a new page? What was the point in-

 

Across from her, Pegasus merely chuckled.

 

"But of course Kaiba-dear," he told her, Seto giving a mental twitch at being called 'dear' yet again for the umpteenth time. "Toon World is infinite! This book is merely a gateway to that plane of existence! And now," he continued, opponent gritting her teeth as Pegasus' dragon moved to sit in the light of the castle. "Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon, a monster of the light, receives the shining energy from Shine Palace and powers up!" Shit. Her eyes widened, the woman tensing as 'Toon Dragon' charged up a blast of it's own. Shit, he'd increased the difference in... "Blue Eyes Toon Dragon," Pegasus shouted loudly, the dragon on her own side climbing onto the table with a growl. "ATTACK! Burst Stream~!" The woman growled, fists tightening. That was not an attack he had the right to make! She narrowed her eyes, flipping over the card she'd set long ago with a scowl.

 

"I activate the card I placed face down," she called out, the aperture portal appearing in front of Blue-Eyes just as the toon's duplicate attack came close. "Negate Attack!" The toon's blast faded from existence, aperture closing and fading from view as well. The toon dragon returned to it's base 'stance', her own Blue-Eyes growling lowly and moving to give its master a clear view of the field. Damn it... Pegasus likely knew that she had that card. In fact she was almost certain! Now that she'd used it she only had one chance at getting rid off the toon mock-up... If she put Blue-Eyes in defense mode she'd lose her best monster to a cheap imitation. And if that dragon attacked her again following that... She swallowed, reaching for her deck. If it attacked her, it was all over. Not just for her... But for him as well. Mokuba... She narrowed her eyes, taking the card from the deck in silence. Everything... Everything relied on this next card! And she had no doubts that it would be the one she needed! Throwing it on the board instantly, her expression didn't change, reading the name and activating it. "SHADOW SPELL," she cried, the chains appearing to wrap around her opponent's monster in an instant. Across from her Pegasus had a calm if not scheming smile in place, obviously knowing full well just how lucky this draw was. One card...

 

This was the only card that could have possibly saved her, in the entire deck. And only this one...

 

'Lucky draw' indeed. The Toon Dragon's attack was now not only lower than Blue-Eye's by two hundred points, but in addition... Her eyes narrowed, and although this now placed her at a slight advantage her expression was nowhere near elation. Her Blue-Eyes... "Even your pathetic rubbery copy can't squirm out of those chains," she spat, the Blue-Eyes beside her roaring in agreement. "Prepare yourself," the woman continued, her dragon charging an attack at those words. Mouth hung open it took aim, this time more than certain it would not miss. "BURST STREAM!" In a blast of white flames the imposter dragon was destroyed, chains vanishing from sight with nothing to hold. The toon dragon was long gone. No longer was her Blue-Eyes condemned to a life as a pathetic toon. She'd put it out of its misery, and now it was Pegasus' turn!

 

Pegasus, however, merely chuckled at the minor scratch received from the attack. "You have a good mind my dear," he said with a low chuckle, Seto merely glaring back. "Just now... I felt your love for the Blue Eyes card in your heart," he continued, opponent's expression falling considerably at those words. He'd felt... What? Felt? She grit her teeth, fists clenched. Get out of her head damn it... Out! Her thoughts and feelings both were private! "As a game designer," Pegasus was saying with that same smile, ignoring the woman's growls and thoughts, "That is the greatest compliment you know... I must thank-you, 'Kaiba-dear'... It's my turn however," he stated, drawing a card with a dark smile. "And this is my next move... The Dragon Capture Jar!" Shit! The woman paled, the jar appearing on the field in a small swirl. A monster card... Damn it! The jar trembled slightly, winds appearing to pull her dragon in immediately. Blue-Eyes gave an enraged growl as it was pulled forward for imprisonment, and as it finally became engulfed completely the jar glowed. Looking toward Pegasus with a snarl, Seto watched as her opponent merely chuckled. "I should tell you," he added, hands folded once more. "The jar gains the defense points of the dragon it absorbs... That makes it '2700' I believe..."

 

"Rggghhh!" That bastard! Was he planning on using her dragon as his pawn yet again! She didn't know how this jar worked completely. But if Yugi had even seen fit to give her fair warning... "It's my turn," she bit out, gritting her teeth as she looked over the card. Tch... She had to destroy the jar before Pegasus could use it completely, but with such a high defense only her third Blue-Eyes could possibly face it... And all that would do was get the dragon captured again most likely. She placed the card on the field, narrowing her eyes. "I play Swordstalker in defense mode," she stated, before crossing her arms once more to lean back on her chair. Damn it...

 

Across from her, Pegasus held a seemingly blank expression, staring yet again. Get out... Get out! "My turn again," he stated quietly, voice devoid of the cheer he'd had earlier while taunting her. Instead it was grave and severe, more closely matching the expression he held. "I'll play this card face down on the board," he stated, before removing the last card in his hand to put it on the field. "And on top of that... I play this monster!" Appearing on the field was an odd one-eyed monster, a flute gripped firmly in its hands. "The Dragon Piper, in defense mode!" Dragon Piper? She frowned, staring at the monsters as it came to her turn once again. With a name like that she was almost certain Pegasus had a plan that concerned her captured Blue-Eyes... Pipers controlled, they manipulated. A 'dragon piper' combined with the jar itself... Seto's scowl deepened, thoughts running through her head without a care to hide them anymore. Would he dare... Could he possibly release her dragon, using the piper to turn it on her..? "Exactly," Pegasus stated with a dark grin, eye narrowing in mirth as Seto's thoughts were once more taken from her mind. "On my next turn," he continued loudly, arms crossed for the moment, "The Dragon Piper's 'Flute of Rebirth' will bring back your dragon as my monster... And it will once again become, as you put it," he said with a dark chuckle, "A 'Pathetic' toon..." Gh...

 

She growled, fists clenched tightly as she looked across the board. A toon? Fat chance! "Over my dead body," she snarled, switching her monster to attack mode in that instant. Swordstalker rose up to its feet, blade gripped tightly in its hands as its master continued. "I'll crush your measly Dragon Piper before you get the chance! SWORDSTALKER," she roared, watching as the piper already moved toward the Dragon jar to prepare for the next move. "ATTACK!" The monster charged, blade raised and ready...

 

She should have known.

 

The moment her monster turned his blade on the Piper, the sword mere centimetres away from the beast, Pegasus' smirk grew even darker than previously seen. Trap. He'd goaded her into a trap and she'd run into it without a care at all! She was-

 

"I activate the spell Doppleganger," he cried, Seto tensing in response. She knew what that card was. Knew exactly what it was. Staring across the board in horror, she watched as Pegasus continued to chuckle, the card he played shifting into one of her own. "That's right," he stated with a grin, his card continuing to shift. "The copycat card... And it can change into any card you played in the entire game," he continued, the woman before him growing paler and paler with each second. The image was appearing on 'Doppleganger's apparent 'card face', as was the description. But she already knew. "And the card it's going to copy... Is your Crush Card Virus!" The card appeared on the board with those words, but Pegasus was still not finished. "In addition my dear," he said with a menacing smirk, Seto swallowing as the card was shifted to sit beneath the Dragon Piper. No... No..."I'm infecting the Piper with the virus...”

 

"Gngk..." ' _And so it begins,_ ' Pegasus stated with a grin, the Swordstalker on the board cutting cleanly through Pegasus' monster with ease. She'd given the command, she couldn't take it back... Foolish. So moronic, how did she not realize it! ' _Prepare to die by your own card...'_ Crush Card Virus...

 

Swordstalker vanished from sight as the virus took effect, its owner staring at the board in horror. All monsters with 1500 or more attack points... All of them... Were now useless. Her deck was almost completely made of monsters with high attack power, and if she couldn't use monsters...

 

She stared at the deck, eyes wide as she drew her card. The only other one she could play... The only card she had left! All other spells would be useless if she couldn't defend, and even with half her lifepoints remaining she was dead! She placed the card softly on the table, breathing un-even as all her hours of wakefulness and dueling caught up to her. "I.." She chocked, steeling herself for at least that last moment. "I bring back Saggi the Dark Clown with Monster Reborn, in defense mode..." The off green ankh appeared on the field, shining its light downward as the clown appeared beneath it in a crouched position.

 

"You have the courage to play out the game to the very end," Pegasus stated with a smile, nodding proudly. Tch... "Right to the very end... I applaud you my dear," he stated with a smile, only serving to elicit a weak growl from the woman. Applause... She wanted nothing of his pride or applause. "But with the next turn," he continued, "When I destroy that monster you will have no others in your deck... And I will win..." Somehow, she couldn't bring herself to care how Pegasus knew what the cards in her deck were. She couldn't care... Seto stared past the man, looking toward Mokuba's unmoving body behind him. The guards flanked him on either side, not that the boy needed to be watched. He couldn't run. He couldn't speak, he couldn't move. Mokuba... She looked toward him sadly, hands shaking as she brought them to her side.

 

_Mokuba_...

 

She thought she saw tears running down the side of his cheek, but that was an illusion right..? Her own eyes were dry, completely dry, she hadn't had anything to drink since noon really... _'Forgive me,_ ' she cried mentally, no longer caring that her thoughts were as loud as a clear shout to her opponent. ' _I couldn't save you... Please forgive me..._ '

 

"And now," Pegasus began darkly, placing a card on the board. "I strike. This is the end of the game my dear! I summon Bikuribox!" The jack in the box appeared from Pegasus' book, Seto staring it down with narrowed eyes. Wicked and wide eyes were turned her way from the monster, the darkclothed jester appearing to cackle madly. "ATTACK!" the man called, the monster charging up a blast of sparking and clouded energy before eradicating her clown in an instant. The light was intense, despite the dark origin. The attack went fairly quick as well... With just that, it was all over. The field cleared, and though she held an apparently stoic stare she inwardly winced from the strike.

 

Dead.

 

She was good as dead. Felt dead too...

 

All her work, only to fail now... Briefly her eyes were turned on the balcony, only dimly seeing the blurs that were her audience and turning her eyes back to the table. ' _Good-bye Yugi,_ ' she thought before closing her eyes. She was so tired...

 

Mokuba... Forgive her. She needed to rest... So badly...

 

Her eyes slowly opened up again as Pegasus drew a card from his pocket, voice almost inaudible to her. He was standing up, leaning over the table to hand her something. A card... It was placed on the table before her, and though her vision was doubling she could still make out its image. Why... Why did she feel so...

 

So...

 

' _You're a smart girl,'_ he whispered, too quiet for any around the room to possibly hear. This card placed before her, this card she'd seen only once before... Her eyes were drawn to it, the woman's resolve crumbling before her as she stared at her brother's screaming image. Mokuba... Forgive her, please... Please... ' _Very smart, possibly too much so... After all,_ ' Pegasus was saying, voice low. ' _You know what sorts of stakes I play for though, don't you my dear..?_ ' Weak... Why did she feel so weak...

 

She was fine moments before wasn't she? Wasn't... She could hear shouts. Far off in the distance and barely identifiable... Yet somehow she knew where they were coming from, off to the side, above... _'KAIBA-SAN,_ ' Yugi was shouting, voice raised and panicked beyond anything she'd heard. ' _NO_!' Another person... ' _KAIBA!_ ' Who were those people... Why were they screaming for her... ' _KAIBAAAA!_!' Pegasus was still there... She wasn't looking at him, unable to even muster the energy for anger by this point. Was she...

 

Dying somehow?

 

"In this game my dear, the loser loses everything... That which is most precious to them, beyond anything in the world... More than just material gain," he whispered, regaining his seat and folding his hands. But he'd already taken all he could... Already... "They lose even their souls...” It hurt, all without hurting, and still Pegasus continued. “I was saving this for you," he whispered, tossing a second card on the table. What was he doing... What... The card landed beside the first, Mokuba's screaming face staring up at her as her eyes watered. What was he... She took a shuddering breath, and as she continued to stare at Mokuba's card, ignorant to the one beside it her eyes momentarily widened.

 

"Gh.." A small surge of energy, something that lasted only an instant... Only an instant, and in that moment, just that moment... She could hear...

 

' _N...Nee-sama?_ '

 

"... _Mokuba._.?"

 

And all she saw was darkness.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've at last reached the point where chapters will be split into pieces, rather than how they were posted on ff.net; for the most part, this will mean dividing a chapter into two where applicable. As the longer chapters are reached, this may move to being split into three however.


	17. Served Cold

When the card's image had finally appeared, Seto's head was merely tilted forward in 'defeat'. The woman's body was slumped over in the same weakened pose she had while her soul was being sapped, and there was only one real difference between the image of her soulless being and her weakened form. The moment the soul had been taken her hand fell from it's grip on the locket around her neck.

 

He didn't even think she was aware that she grabbed it. Aside from that one thing however, the woman was still staring off with the same momentarily hopeful glimpse that had come with the sound of her brother's voice. Though her eyes were blank, the expression remained frozen. Questioning, confused eyes on an otherwise defeated face. Pegasus leaned forward, smiling darkly as he grabbed the two cards that sat on the table. Mokuba's was the same of course, remaining as unchanged as ever. Now what of his sister though...

 

The image of Seto Kaiba on the card was not at all fearful like her brother, and there was no panicked expression, no wild last attempt to pull on the 'cell bars'. Looking over the card, he was almost surprised in fact. The expression was neither hopeless nor depressed, not even angered. She was merely accepting of fate, as though it was forever expected to occur. The woman wasn't even staring out with eternally open eyes like all others who had ever been sealed in a card. Instead, they were closed over, her head head bowed forward as though waiting. No frown, no grimace or scowl...

 

Just a blank expression betraying all emotion. Waiting... It would be a long wait, he told himself with a sigh. Walking in the darkness of the monster's realm for all eternity, the fate of both the siblings... Pity, he thought, placing the cards in his pocket before gathering his deck. Though the cards were so close, the distance between the two might as well have been infinite now. If only she really had died back then, he thought with a smile, shaking his head sadly. Perhaps they could have eventually been reunited in the afterlife. Ahh well...

 

He gave a nod to the two guards, who both made to take Mokuba back to where he was being kept in silence. Mokuba would be well kept. Wonderfully kept, he would do that much for now- Kaiba Corp needed a Kaiba, and even if he would soon be buying the company out it was the... 'Right thing' so to speak. As for Seto herself... Crocketts came in, and with a stern nod the CEO turned his way. "Remove the corpse," he said coldly, the assistant staring blankly and out of his 'range' of thought. "You know where to put him." Crocketts merely nodded, roughly grabbing the woman's limp body and slinging her arm around his shoulder before dragging her off to an unknown area. An area where she would remain for the rest of eternity. And now that this was all over...

 

' _Well done Pegasus_ ', came the voice of Daimon, coming out as a low 'whisper' from the speaker at the table. ' _Seto is taken care of,_ ' muttered Oota, who was nodding in agreement with the rest of the 'Big Five'. _'Deal with Yugi as well, and you'll get Kaiba Corp. as planned Pegasus..._ ' Good... He smiled, eyes briefly turning over to where the hidden board room above the arena sat. With his eye he could see the shadows of the men as they moved to leave, likely for the rooms he had prepared for them during their swift arrival the night before. Defeat Yugi, the only condition...

 

Which meant the company was as good as his; no one ever beat him at his own game after all. And even if the power of the millennium puzzle resided within the boy, it was powerless against his eye-

 

He froze, a sudden chill passing through him. A wave of energy had shuddered through the room, an almost 'rumbling' sound arising. This power... This was...

 

He turned, eye wide as he looked toward the balcony where Yugi himself was standing. A confident air now hung around him...

 

A confident and enraged air.

 

"PEGASUS," Yugi roared, eyes wide with an unbridled fury. "I won't forgive you for this!" he shouted, those beside him turning with slight shock. The other Yugi... Pegasus' eye narrowed as the boy continued, the anger effectively radiating from his being in waves. Interesting how quickly the defeat of the boy's rival had sparked anger... "I swear it," Yugi was continuing with a shout. "I will defeat you!"

 

The man merely smirked in response, hands held at his sides as he addressed his eventual opponent. "Oh Yugi-boy~! I'm so glad you care," he said with a smile, before it narrowed into a wicked smirk. "But please remember... You have to win the championship tournament to earn the right to fight me!" And if he lost any other duels, he would fail completely... Hnhnhnhn...

 

Above on the balcony, Yugi merely nodded, scowl increasing. "I know that," he stated with a cold glare, hands gripping the railing tightly. "But you had better prepare yourself Pegasus... Because I won't be satisfied until I destroy you completely!" Was that so? Well, wasn't that exciting? He continued to stare up at the balcony, chuckling at the words. 'Destroy completely', now how likely was that? Idly Pegasus noted that the blond was missing, along with another of his 'friends'... Hmmm. Such a pity he couldn't have been there to see his dear friend's older sister be defeated. He wondered...

 

Did the boy know about Seto's secrets himself? Did he feel close at all? He hadn't been within range long enough to glean those thoughts, but soon enough he supposed... "Hnhnhnhnhnhn... Well," he muttered, before raising his voice to a shout. Back to business after now! "The Championship Tournament is Tomorrow Morning," he stated, expression becoming relatively neutral as he spoke. "It will be held here, in this arena on the main floor! Out of the four duelists," Pegasus continued, eye narrowing as he recalled the event's details, "Only one of you will have the glory of facing me in battle!" And in a way, that would mean only one 'real' loser...

 

As he said this, his eye caught glimpse of a shock of blond among the small crowd on the balcony, accompanied by a second teen. Ah... So he had returned. Just in time. The smirk grew and he stepped back, allowing one of the guards at the side to take over. "Duelists," the man beside him shouted, holding up two cards for them to see. "To enter the finals and face Pegasus-sama, you will need the cards that were sent with your original invitation! Even if you are the winner," he stated, tone held to a dead serious extent as he continued, "Should it be found that you lack both of these cards, you will be disqualified immediately! Is that clear?" he finished, Pegasus gauging the reactions of the crowd above. Crystal clear... As though to act on those very words, Yugi and Jonouchi both pulled something out of their pockets. Both were staring at the surface of a single card, and spotting this he smiled. Ahhhh... Wonderful, wonderful. So the two had both split that as well. Kujaku Mai seemed confident enough, understandably so given that she as well had those cards. As for Keith...

 

He smirked, watching as the American turned to eye both Yugi and Jonouchi with clear distaste, obviously lacking a card of his own as well. Well... After all, he had hardly invited the American to his 'kingdom'... "Hnhnhnhnhn..." Chuckling, he turned to leave the hall, giving a last wave. This was enough for now... "Well then my fair duelists," he called out, the bridges from the arena beginning to retract as the guards and hired hands left through to the halls. "I'll see you all in the morning~" Not even turning back he moved into the hallway, the bridge continuing to pull back behind him. With a thundering slam the bridges locked beneath the floor, door shutting behind him and locking into place. Now then...

 

Time to prepare for dinner...

 

* * *

 

" _PEGASUS_!" As Katsuya left the hall with Honda, that was the first thing he heard. That and something that could have passed for a small earthquake but... He had the feeling the last one was just him. Nonetheless hearing Yugi shout that loudly, with that much blatantly obvious rage...

 

It was almost scary. Hell, it _was_ scary. The boy was staring down Pegasus from his position on the balcony, eyes wide and body tense and stiff. The air around him was almost thick with energy from the shout, and looking forward he had to stare. "Woah..." He swallowed as his friend continued, shouting his vow and threats to the man below with a snarl. It was fairly obvious that Yugi had switched out to the 'Other Yugi' once more. For that to happen though, after all that had gone on outside... "Yugi.."

 

The boy turned, but before he could say anything more, a shout from an announcer below caught their attention. The man held two cards in his hand, and even from the distance they were at he could tell what they said. 'The Honor of the King's Left'... 'The Honor of the King's Right'. He swallowed, pulling a single card from his back pocket as Yugi did the same. The card that Yugi had given him before... Telling him that he had no use for prize money, and that it would be better off put to use for Shizuka's surgery...

 

"Th' Honor of th' King's Right.." 'Ultimate Riches', it said at the bottom. And as for Yugi's card... The boy was staring at it intensely, saying nothing in response, and in the end it was easy to be distracted as Mai spoke up from behind them.

 

"Alright," she said with a stretch, taking the bag she had left Anzu and waving. Looking toward her she seemed slightly flustered. Even a little pale, as were most of the others save Keith, Honda, and himself. Granted, he and Honda were a little clueless as to why that was but... Now that he thought... "From now on, we're enemies again understand?" The woman apparently steeled herself, slight nervousness hidden completely. She gave a wink, before turning to walk away from them. "The time for friends is over! Yugi, Jonouchi," she continued, disappearing down the hall. "Good luck, alright?" Good luck?

 

"Y-Yeah," he said with a nod, slowly turning back to Yugi. "You too..." Looking back at his friend, he frowned, watching as the others turned to him somewhat nervously. Down on the stage there'd been nothing but scattered cards on the table. If the others were this pale... "...Se... Kaiba... Kaiba lost didn't..." Anzu nodded, looking rather pale as she turned away. So then what happened to her?

 

"Jonouchi," Yugi stated quietly, the blond turning to him with a slight frown. A slight nod and a bowed head was all it took. All it took to send another cold shiver down his spine. What happened... "No matter what," Yugi was saying curtly, usual stern frown in place, "We must make it to the final round!" Katsuya stared, piecing that statement to his own question with worry. Seto-chan lost... They had to win no matter what, he knew that part but... Damn it, what was going on!

 

"Guys," Honda said with a frown, the others turning to him. The teen was looking over the railing, having apparently figured out fairly quickly what the abandoned cards meant. "What did they do with Kaiba..?"

 

"He said..." Again heads turned, this time toward Anzu as the woman turned from her position on the railing. They were the only ones in the room now. Keith had long since vanished, probably for the better. But the look that Anzu had... Why did it... "'Remove the _corpse'_... Before he had his soul taken, he said... I heard him say..." She stopped, taking a deep breath before continuing under her breath. "How could he do that," she muttered with wide eyes, shaking her head and holding it in one of her hands. "How could he just jerk someone's chain like that, even Kaiba didn't deserve that...I mean-"

 

Anzu's voice faded into nothingness as the blond stood there, her first sentence still pounding in his ears. Remove...

 

The corpse..?

 

Numb. He felt numb...

 

He couldn't move...

 

Suddenly it felt as though a heavy weight was slamming into his legs, pushing down on him and making it hard to breathe. "Corpse," he finally croaked out, blood draining from his face. But... Pegasus only took souls right? He... He wouldn't kill... He wouldn't...

 

"Jonouchi," Yugi said with a frown, turning to him. Something in his eyes... Was that guilt? From the other Yugi? But why would... "...He's still alive, just as last time. Pegasus has sealed his soul in a card... And we will get him back," he continued, eyes narrowing. "And everyone else as well." As the blond continued to stare in silence, Yugi held up his card to him. Honor of the King's left... The empty, clear card with only a title. Was it just him he wondered, or was the fact that it was an empty 'face' and 'description' just making him feel even worse. Completely blank... What did the cards that Pegasus held look like before he used them? "No matter what," he stated again, clutching the card tightly. "You take your card... And I'll take mine... For everyone!"

 

He looked at the boy, swallowing. "But Yugi... What if we're matched up in the first round..." Cold... He felt cold, but he couldn't give in damn it... What happened if it did come to that match up though? The boy didn't even pause to answer, his arms crossed as he looked up at the blond.

 

"Then we'll just have to fight," he stated, expression unchanged.

 

Just fight... "E-Er... O... Ok..?" That was fast... Not a single bit of hesitation... (Would he even stand a chance against Yugi, seriously...) He shook it off, taking an unsteady breath to calm down and listening as the others continued to talk about what had happened.

 

"Yugi," Bakura was asking, arms wrapped around his middle yet again. Now why was he doing that lately..? Cold? Indigestion or hunger maybe? "Do you have a plan to counteract Pegasus' mind scan at all..?"

 

The answer was so blunt it almost cheered him up right there.

 

"Nope," Yugi said, smiling as he shrugged. Oh god... If this had been anyone else they would be so fucked... (Course his answer wasn't much better... So really, no excuse...) "His Millennium Eye is troublesome," Yugi 'admitted', crossing his arms in thought. Yeah... Yeah that was one way to put it... "I don't have a perfect solution." No one did... "But all the same," he continued, smile vanishing rather abruptly. "I will CRUSH Pegasus!"

 

With that shout, Katsuya stared, again shaking himself off. Right. That was right, if they beat Pegasus... It was just like with the 'Monster World' wasn't it? Win the game, win back the lost souls! He snapped himself out of the cold, dead feeling he had for the moment, steeling himself. "Right!" he shouted, nodding. He'd known this would happen damn it... It hurt like hell but he still knew! He had to fix it. And like Honda had said. Bodies in one place, souls in another, and everything else in between... They had to do what they could, and win! "Let's do this," he decided, giving himself a reassuring nod. Alright...

 

Alright... One day to fix things, one day to find Seto-chan and bust out of here. Finals couldn't possibly take all day, there had to be some point of free time he would get... "Excuse me," came a familiar voice from the side, the group turning as the bandaged suit from before came over. Oh. This guy again..."If you could all follow me," he asked somewhat casually, "A dinner party has been arranged... Please," the man continued, Katsuya's stomach gurgling at the mention of food. "Step this way..." Eager nods abounded as they followed after the man, Katsuya rubbing his stomach in question before coughing.

 

"Hah... Man, forgot how starved I was..." Damn... Good thing they'd been eating snacks all through the labyrinth before coming to the castle. Honda smirked, arms crossed as he overheard the muttering.

 

"You forgot?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, attempting to lift the spirits again. It was a little bit of an awkward conversation start... But really, he ended up listening anyways. "That's new! I didn't think there would be anything that could do that..." He snorted, hands in his pockets as they continued down a flight of stairs.

 

"Psh! Don't tell me you were thinking of dinner through all that," the blond said with a smirk, the group turning a corner. "Admit it, no one can think of food with that kind of duel!" Not to mention, he was still feeling queasy from Seto's last du...

 

Don't think about her...

 

Ignoring Honda's muttering of 'Yeah, but I'm not you,' the blond watched as they entered a large and lavishly prepared dining hall. Vases filled to the brim with flowers of all sorts lined the sides, coming up to an enormous landscape portrait at the back end. The table was long, but it looked as though only half the chairs would be filled and only because of the others who were there. ' _Please_ ,' the man from before was saying from the side, hands motioning toward the table. ' _Take a seat.'_ Huh... Lots of food.

 

Aside from bowls of soup he could see a number of bread and cheese platters, elaborate looking pitchers of water, salads, meat... Somehow he couldn't feel that hungry though. Standing just inside the doorway as the others filed in, he watched as Mai waved them over with a smile. Hah...

 

Looked like she had been waiting a while... ' _Honestly_ ,' Anzu was muttering hands on her hips as she moved into the room, ' _First time they've even bothered to feed us properly...'_ Yeah... First time they bother and no one's feeling hungry... Well, he decided with a sigh, walking forward. Food time he supposed. Might as well eat so that he could focus on tomorrow's-

 

"...Nh..." The blond frowned, stopping in place. Yugi stopped as well. Was... Someone watching them? He had this weird feeling, like there was someone behind him, and yet there was technically no one there. He slowly turned, gaze moving upward as Yugi did the same. Something there... He jumped, eyes coming to the top of the doorway and freezing. "H-HIHHH!"

 

"T-That portrait," Anzu shouted, the group following their gaze upward. Framed in an elaborate border were two portraits above the door, each one painted so realistically that for a brief moment Katsuya had to wonder if they were moving. On one side a young woman, dressed in an elaborate gown and smiling serenely at the room. The woman's eyes were half closed, long blond hair falling around her face and shoulders to frame them rather nicely. The portrait of the woman however, was far from what caught his attention though.

 

"It's him," he muttered, the image of the simply robed Egyptian man sending a shiver down his spine. The Millennium Ankh, key, whatever the hell it was, was hanging around his neck, and the man's seemingly soulless eyes stared outward at them. .

 

..Don't think about soullessness...

 

He swallowed, eyes narrowing as he recalled the night all those months ago, long before he had even been staying with Mokuba and Seto. That guy... "What the hell is a painting of Shaadi doing here," he muttered with a growl, Bakura looking at the others with a frown.

 

"...Shaadi?" the teen asked, blinking slightly. Right... He wouldn't know, he'd transferred in September after all. "Who is that..? He looks Egyptian almost..." Almost? Hahaha...

 

Yeah, that was one way of guessing he supposed. Beside them Yugi nodded, staring at the portrait in silence before answering the albino. "That's because he is Egyptian," he stated, Bakura blinking as the boy continued. "Not only that, but he possesses a Millennium item too... See that ankh around his neck," he asked, Bakura turning to look upward at the question, "It's a key... The 'Millennium Key'! Using it, he was able to go inside a person's mind and control them..." Hihhh...

 

It was zombie night all over again... "Just thinking about that night gives me the chills," Anzu was muttering, shaking her head and moving toward the table. "I almost died because of that guy!"

 

Hell, everyone almost died because of that guy! "Yeah," Katsuya said, frowning, mentally recalling just how much more danger she had been in compared to the others at the time. "That guy took over Anzu's mind and had her just about jump off a building!" He'd barely gotten there too... If he hadn't been able to escape from the poorly controlled professor that chased himself and Honda around that night, if he hadn't made it out the window to hold that platform up... He shuddered, before turning to Bakura. "Reminds me..." The blond frowned, recalling the reason why Shaadi had done all those things in the first place.

 

"The guy wanted to know about Yugi's puzzle too... Like the guy in your ring, if you don't mind me saying Bakura..." Bakura's reaction to that was... Odd. To say the least.

 

At the mention of the ring he had merely given them all a rather odd smile, adjusting his bag. "Oh," he said, as though having somehow forgotten about the 'golden ring from hell' as Katsuya was 'affectionately' calling it. He shook his head, turning to look back up at the portraits. "You don't have to worry about that... I won't let it take over my mind anymore!" Won't let it? He frowned, eyeing the albino oddly a moment. That sounded almost like he was wearing the damn thing again but.. Hah... Hahah... He... He wouldn't do that right?

 

...Right? He swallowed, turning away to take a seat at the table as the others continued to talk. Alright... Let... Let's just eat and get through the night. There was no way that would have happened after all, just no way... Not after the whole RPG fiasco and the impaled hand... No damn way he would do that...

 

Katsuya pulled out one of the chairs, collapsing on it with a sigh and idly watching as the suit from before spoke to the others. "Man," he muttered, holding his head with a groan. Seto had finally woken up again only to lose her soul. So had Mokuba, and not only did they have to beat Pegasus to get them back but it looked like even Shaadi was in on things. "This is insane..."

 

"So it is," came Yugi's voice from the side, Katsuya blinking as he looked his way. W-W-Wait... When did he sit down? He looked around, blinking. Hell, when did everyone else sit down? Idly, he noted that Keith was missing... Eh. It figured really. He kind of preferred that... Looking back at Yugi, he watched as his friend merely stared at the table in silence. Looking around the table, a good number of people were like that. Bakura was talking to Anzu about something, but otherwise... "...Jonouchi," Yugi finally said, the blond again blinking at his voice. Er..

 

"..Yeah Yugi?" he asked, eyes continuing to drift around the table. Most of them weren't eating. Bakura had tied the cloth napkin around his neck and slowly started picking away at some corn himself, but for the most part even Mai for all her talk of waiting to eat wasn't doing anything. The room was completely silent, and the food otherwise untouched... He turned back to his friend, swallowing. Some dinner... Pegasus sure knew how to kill a mood. "What is it..?" Silence. The entire table was filled with an eerie and cold silence as slowly others began to eat as well, people around the table drifting off into their own worlds as they simply went through the motions of eating their soup. Complete silence, and it was almost frightening how long it lasted for everyone.

 

"...About earlier," the boy finally stated, arms crossed as he stared at his bowl of soup. Yugi's voice, the 'Other Yugi's voice, seemed almost 'quiet' compared to its usual confidence, the boy not looking up as he continued. "During my duel with Kaiba..." Again, Katsuya swallowed, the memory of the event coming to mind. That duel... All he could remember thinking back to that duel now was the monstrosity that was Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's melting and decaying corpse... And the wide eyed, blank stare he'd seen through the wall of kuriboh. What was it that Yugi was saying though? He wasn't looking up or around, merely staring off in thought... As though he couldn't actually say anything.

 

"Yugi, what are you..."

 

"I was out of line," he stated, the blond beside him staring in response. What..! Yugi's eyes had narrowed, his voice low as he spoke. "You care about Kaiba a lot," he continued, the teen beside him keeping silent in his disbelief. "To an extent that I myself can't likely hope to understand. I interfered with that..." The boy sighed, adjusting his crossed arms and still staring at the soup bowl. "Even when you asked me not too."

 

Even when- Katsuya tensed, swallowing still more as he logged the words in his head. "You..." He shook his head, staring. "You heard me..." He'd heard him and he... Eyes wide he continued to stare, unsure of what to say in response.

 

Yugi merely stared at his soup in silence, voice still held quiet so that those around the table couldn't hear. "Forgive me, Jonouchi," he said turning to him with a look that was quite different from the familiar stern and confident stare. A 'non-Yugi' stare... A look that didn't suit either half, or even a mix of the two in his opinion. Yet it was there. And he was... "Because of what I did..."

 

The blond tapped Yugi's shoulder lightly with a fist, friend blinking in confusion. "Hey," Katsuya said with a sad smile, sparing the boy of any more difficulty in what he was saying. "Don't sweat it... Won' happen again right?" As Yugi stared, the blond turned back to the table. What did he say... What did he say? He'd never spoken to the 'Other Yugi' long enough to really end up in this kind of situation. And the normal Yugi apologized for things that weren't even his fault, so it was easy to just tell him that it wasn't and move on. But now... "It hurts y'know," he said quietly, slumping back in his chair. His voice was kept almost to a whisper, and with the sounds of silverware clinking in the background it was easy to keep his words private. "I Couldn't be there to cheer 'er on, and then I came back t' find out she's gone... But that ain't yer fault... And y'know Yugi," he continued, turning to the boy with a slight frown. "Th' fact is... I forgive yah for th' duel out there. Not just 'cause you're my friend," Katsuya said, watching as Yugi stared back with the same slight scowl he always seemed to have, "But because I know that in reality... You jus' wanted t' get here an' get at Pegasus too... 'S like Setochan said," he whispered, blinking slowly as he unconsciously fingered his 'key box'. "If th' roles were r'versed, she wouldn' 've hesitated... Cause that's how much Mokuba means t' her... An' it's how much Sugoroku-ojii means t' you..."

 

Silence was his only answer, and, after a few minutes of awkward silence he found himself grabbing the spoon to go after the soup in front of him. Gotta eat up for tomorrow he told himself, dunking the spoon in and taking a sip. Save up the energy for his duels and for finding Seto both. Had to-

 

_-blnmp_ -

 

"NYHHAAAAAAHH!" He jerked backward, face pale as an 'eyeball' surfaced to the top of his soup. "H-HAAAH! WHAT THE HELL!" What... What the hell was this doing in his soup bowl-

 

...What the hell was anything doing in his soup bowl! Beside him, Yugi was well was staring, at his own dish, raising an eyebrow as he lifted the eyeball out with his spoon. "Gh _mlm-ghk_!" The boys looked across, Honda as well following their gaze as Mai began to choke on something. Bringing a hand to her throat, she hurriedly spat something onto the counter before taking a wheezing breath. "Gh... Hah... It was in my soup too!"

 

Alright what the hell was with the eyeballs! He picked the one in his soup out, going slightly green in the face. Seriously, this was disgusting... A click sound came from the far end of the room, and the large portrait of what had apparently been the coast of Okinawa shifted into a close up view of Pegasus' face. "Iiiiiiiiit's _SHOW TIME_ ~," he called out, the table's occupants tensing up in response. "Hello everybody," Pegasus shouted with a grin, a majority looking toward the man in distaste. "How do you like my favourite soup~?"

 

He growled, holding the eyeball up between his thumb and finger as he shook the soup off. "Tch...Yeah thanks for the meal Pegasus, what is this poison? Tryin' t' kill us off so you don' have t' fight us?" Though he wouldn't exactly gain access to KaibaCorp if that happened... And since it was in Yugi's soup as well, he doubted that was the case. Still...

 

Pegasus merely brightened at the accusation, clapping his hands together. "Ohhhh~ That," he shouted, appearing far more 'cheerful' than he had during the duel with Seto. "That's part of tonight's special dish," he said with a grin, leaning into the camera slightly. Er... He didn't trust anything that this guy called 'special'... "The heart-pounding Tournament Entree Bingo Game!" What.

 

"Tournament Bingo," Mai shouted, grabbing her own 'eye' with a napkin and wiping it off before turning back. The eye was gripped firmly in the napkin, the woman occasionally looking at it with a somewhat disgusted stare. "And just what exactly is that?"

 

The man beamed even more if that was possible, as though having waited for that very question to be asked for hours. "Well," he began with a smile, eager to explain, "All participants in the Championship will receive a replica Millennium Eye! One of you isn't there of course," he muttered, while Katsuya merely swallowed a wave of nausea staring at the 'replica eye' in his hands, "But oh well... Now," he shouted, still grinning. "Time to start the game!~ Crack that eye open!" Crack it open?

 

The blond frowned, looking back at his eye. With what, a hammer? What the hell was going through this guy's he- Oh... He blinked, looking along the side and rubbing it as he found a small divet. "A line..." Twisting the eye, he pulled the sides apart with a small 'pop' noise, dropping both halves to save the falling slip of paper from landing in his soup. "Ack- ...What th'..." He frowned, unfolding the small paper before looking at Yugi. "'S jus' a paper with th' letter 'D' on it..."

 

As Yugi held his own up in question ('A'), Mai nodded from across the table. "Mine say's 'B'..."

 

"Now then," came Pegasus' voice again, the group watching as the screen shifted to a simple tournament line up. "To announce the order of play!" They stared, Katsuya's eyes widening briefly before the blond clenched his fist with a nod. 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D'... The first and the last two were matched up with each other for a semi-final knock out! Mai was smirking, a few fingers placed on her lips.

 

"Ohh," he stated, winking across the table at her soon to be opponent. "Looks like I'm facing you, Yugi~" The boy merely nodded, expression notably neutral in response. Well... Obviously someone had their eyes on the goal. (Not to mention, normal Yugi definitely had monopoly on the hormones... Or something.) As for his own match up...

 

Given that Keith was missing, that would make him 'C'. "Hah," he said with a dark grin, pumping his fist. "I'm against Bandit Keith! Guess I have th' chance t' get back at him f'r th' cave already!" Alright... He could do this easy! Er... Well... Regardless of Keith's 'champion status' he guessed... And the fact that he knew what cards he had now... Honestly, he should probably just stop thinking, he wasn't doing well here.

 

The screen switched back to Pegasus, the man grinning as the others turned on him with either blank stares or frowns. "Aha~ That's all! The soup never lies," he stated with a grin, before giving an apparent 'wink' (Man had one eye, how did he pull that one off...). "I look forward to the tournament...

See you tomorrow!" With those words the screen cracked back into the image of Okinawan shores, the suit from the end of the room stepping forward.

 

"Well," he stated, clapping his hands together, turning the group's attention back toward the entry way of the room. "It's time to call it a night," he continued, opening the doors. "We will now show you to your rooms, understand?" Katsuya frowned, having moved to start his soup again. He only got like five spoonfuls though! Hell, the only one who managed to get anything to eat was Bakura, and that was because he'd managed to start off right away!

 

"Wait... We don' even get t' finish the soup!" As a few of the others grumbled in agreement, the blond's appetite quickly dropped- Bakura was leaning across the table to speak with Yugi at the moment, and listening in on the subject made him feel a little queasy honestly... ' _Ah... Your replica eye,_ ' he was asking, the boy turning to him and staring from where he was moving to throw the halves out. ' _Can I have it?_ ' He swallowed, shaking his head. Ugh...

 

Screw dinner, after everything going on he'd just end up blowing chunks in an hour... And then of course Yugi did give him the eye, which didn't help with the shivers at all... Katsuya swallowed, moving from his chair and rubbing his head. Damn that was... What the hell was Bakura going to do with that thing, seriously... Hihhh. "Hey, Yugi," Mai said as they moved to leave, the woman shouldering her jacket as she turned to the boy. She was either oblivious to the stare that Honda was now giving her, having gotten over the shock of the eyes and things to notice that the jacket was gone or... Just plain used to it. Both were options really, with a shirt like that... (Stop staring, he told himself. Stop. Staring. Now.) "Let's have a fair fight tomorrow," Mai was saying, the group walking down one of the castle's many halls.

 

Yugi nodded, a small smirk coming into place with the request. "Of course," he stated clearly, the group watching as Mai turned to enter the room they'd come to. ' _Later then_ ', she was saying as the door shut behind her, the group being led further down the hall. "Alright," Katsuya said with a yawn, scratching his head. "We oughta get to sleep too!"

 

The others nodded, the still unnamed suit stopping in the middle of the hall to gesture to the side. "Each of you may take any of the five rooms here," he stated calmly, the group nodding in agreement. Five doors, each with a vase between them. Man, this was like a hotel or something... "The tournament will commence tomorrow morning at 9 AM, so be sure to turn in as early as possible." More nods, and the man left the hall just seconds after. Five rooms...

 

Honda opened the door to one, giving a slight wave to the others. "Well... See yah in the morning then," he said, smiling slightly before the door shut behind him. Huh. That was fast... "Good night guys," Bakura was saying with a yawn and a smile, opening the door beside it just as quickly. Well... Either they were all tired or they really... Really wanted to just forget about something.

 

...Not that he could really blame them in any case but still...

 

As the three others turned to face the doors across the hall, Katsuya blew out a tense breath of air. "Well," he said, shrugging slightly as he grabbed the doorknob. "Guess this is my room..." Opening it, he turned around to look at the others a moment. "Yugi..." He smirked, gaze hardening along with his resolve. No failing... That wasn't an option- he had to stay strong, if not for himself, than for Mokuba and Seto both! "Let's do this alright? Let's get those cards and kick some ass!"

 

The boy nodded, smirk becoming the familiar small smile he'd seen before. "Right," he stated with a nod, before turning to speak with Anzu.

 

"See yah!" he shouted, giving a slight wave and shutting the door behind him. ' _Night Jonouchi,'_ he heard Anzu shout, before the door blocked all other sound. Bed time... Alright. Tomorrow was the 'big day' so to speak. It was all on him and Yugi! Whether Seto kept her company... Her soul... Whether Mokuba stayed alive...

 

...Or Seto herself...

 

He stared at the door a few moments as those thoughts came to mind, the forced smile fading out. Walking over to the bed as the cold feeling from earlier returned, he pulled off the red glove around his hand with a frown. Well. No point in the starchips now right... The glove fell to the floor with his backpack, jacket thrown on the coat rack at the side as he looked around the room. Huh... Weird. If he'd still been living with his old man, he'd have probably gunned it for the bed and just sat on it all night. As it was the room, though huge, just seemed...

 

Empty. The blond turned to his bed, walking over and collapsing on it with a sigh. He could remember the first few nights after 'moving in' to Seto and Mokuba's house. It was weird, the meals were damn awkward when the woman even bothered to show, and he had to say that when Mokuba said 'lonely'... He wasn't kidding. The room he had there was about the same size as the one he was in now, and he'd refused once, twice, three times...

 

In the end Mokuba had just tossed his things in there and effectively said 'deal with it', he remembered with a quiet laugh. Time had passed and the room stopped looking or feeling like a part of the 'mansion' and more like 'his' in the end. Clothes on the floor, any homework he bothered with lying around on the desk... This room though. It was just cold.

 

Dead.

 

Katsuya stared at the ceiling, frowning as the feeling continued to seep into him completely. Damn it... It was one thing to tell himself constantly while out and about that he'd definitely win, that he'd definitely save the others... But damn it. That dream...

 

That damn dream he'd had was bugging him so much...

 

' _Try looking in your deck,_ ' Pegasus had said, and he was sure that the dream was only that. But when he'd pulled out that card... ' _Or are you too scared?_ ' Gh...

 

" 'M not scared..." He shook his head slightly, trying and failing to deny the fact to himself. He wasn't scared... He wasn't. The blond forced his eyes closed, biting his lip. Snippits of conversation were flooding his head, scenes of the evening playing back before him. The rotting dragon, Seto's 'smile', the 'Other Yugi's shout of sheer rage... Anzu's words...

 

'Remove the Corpse'...

 

And with those words in mind, he rolled over, looking at the box that as far as Pegasus knew held the key that had very well pulled them all into this mess. "I'm sorry," he whispered, clutching the box tight as he attempted to sleep. "I couldn't stop all this... But I swear," the blond continued, gritting his teeth. "I swear to you I'll fix it..." Even if it killed him...

 

He'd promise them at least that much.

 


	18. Calm Your Mind

Cold.

 

That was the first thing he felt when he finally drifted off to sleep. It was cold in here. A numb endless chill that rendered him unable to feel even his own body. So cold... He was drifting somewhere, anywhere, and it was so... Cold. Why was it so...

 

Katsuya opened his eyes, blinking a few times as he sat up with a groan. Where was this... Bed and blanket were in the same spot as always, but looking around that there was... Nothing. Nothing but an endless plain of darkness, the bed he sat on appearing almost like an island. "What the..." He swallowed, his voice echoing around the empty expanse as he stepped off the bed. Dark. Nothing but darkness as far as the eye could see, and 'lucky him' being in nothing but a t-shirt and boxers it was damn freezing here.

 

Though he had the feeling that things wouldn't have been different if he had his jeans and jacket on.

 

"Where the hell is this..?"

 

"You're asking that a lot lately," came a young voice from the side, the blond jumping in response. Who the- "Need a map, 'Mutt'?" Katsuya tensed, turning around to where he'd left the bed only to find nothing. The bed had vanished without a trace or a sound, and in the pitch black darkness he found himself frowning. 'Mutt'... That kid called him a-

 

His eyes narrowed as he continued to look around, before finally spotting a small child at the side. Huh. He squinted, moving toward the kid with a confused frown. "Who..." Who was this?

 

The girl crossed her arms, looking up at the blond with a glare as he approached. Well... He had thought it was a girl at least. Voice seemed like it until he saw the kid, he was pretty sure little girls didn't have hair cuts this bad. "Hn! No one you need to know about..." He raised an eyebrow, shaking his head. Alright. This was weird. What, was that soup really poisoned or something? The girl... Boy... Whatever...

 

The kid was wearing a simple button up shirt with jeans, messy hair resembling little more than a bird's nest. Despite this 'he' somehow managed to hold to 'himself' a bit of sophistication, staring at Katsuya with narrowed and stubborn eyes. "No one I need t' know," he repeated, shaking his head. The blond rolled his eyes, ignoring the still steady glare the kid was giving him. "Right..." He turned briefly, looking around the empty dark expanse before sighing. This... Had to be a dream. Absolutely had to... Nothing but darkness and some kid who reminded him of a mini-Seto-chan. The only thing tell him it wasn't some messed up 'mini-Seto' was the state of 'his' hair. No way Seto would live that down. "God my dreams are fucked up," he muttered, rubbing his face as the kid below him smirked.

 

"Hah! That's one way to put it," 'he' muttered, smirking darkly. Katsuya frowned, watching as the kid as well looked around the darkness for a moment. Looking closer the kid looked... Exhausted. The shirt looked damp with sweat, and though the position seemed that of someone just 'standing there', it was almost obvious that the kid had been running from something. "So Mutt," 'he' finally said, arms falling to 'his' sides as Katsuya growled. Again with the mutt... "Any ideas on how to get out of this mess?"

 

Katsuya stared at the kid, shaking his head. What the hell was with everyone calling him 'Mutt', honestly... Even so, he decided to humor the kid- obviously this was just a dream so... Didn't really matter, right? As for 'this mess'... He frowned, looking around the 'room' once again before sighing. He didn't even know what 'this mess' was, let alone how to get out of it.

 

"Not a clue," he muttered eventually, taking a seat on the ground before staring off. "You?" The 'boy' looked at Katsuya, before shrugging in response.

 

"Nope..." 'He' as well looked around, before stretching slightly and folding 'his' arms behind 'his' head. "...When you can't find your way out of your own head though, that's generally a pretty bad sign..." Katsuya looked at the kid a moment, staring. Oh, was that all!

 

He snorted, shaking his head at the words. "Yeah," he muttered, turning away from the 'boy' and rolling his eyes. "Because being told off by a figment of my imagination doesn't tell me that already..." He thought pretty clearly in his head... Weird.

 

_-thunk!_

 

"OW!" The blond turned, scowling as the 'boy' beside him held a fist. "What the hell was that for..!" Damn... Kid had a pretty solid punch for someone who was probably ten. Maybe younger...

 

The 'boy' merely growled, crossing 'his' arms again. "Moron," 'he' muttered, wrinkling 'his' nose. "My point was that this isn't your head! What, you thought that you 'dreamed me up' or something?" As a matter of fact yes, yes he did. He continued to stare, and at the confused look he gave the 'boy', the kid continued. "You aren't supposed to be here," 'he' said bluntly, crossing his arms. "Personally, I can't even figure out how a moron like you did get in here!" Oh well thanks for the confidence there... "And knowing you," the 'boy' continued with evident distaste, "I'll be stuck with you in here forever!"

 

Now hey, what was that all about? "Tch- Whatdya mean 'knowing me', we jus' me-" He froze, turning back from the kid for a moment. Something shifted in the darkness... Looking into it however there was nothing but the same empty space he'd seen before. Rubbing his head, he turned to continue his glare at the kid before speaking. "Tch... Whatever... Look, you're th' one who said it was my head weren't yah?"

 

The 'boy' snorted, arms crossed as he shook his head. "I had said that it must have been really messed up if you couldn't figure things out!"

 

"Well what am I supposed t' think then?"

 

"I don't know MUTT, try using your brain!"

 

"You know what, maybe I wi-" He froze, cutting himself off with a sarcastic grin as he realized the

'hole' he'd just about dug himself. "Oh no no no no... You ain't getting me with that one," he said, grinning as the kid beside him growled. Looking the unimpressed frown he was still getting, he scratched his head again. "Sheesh... Worse than Seto-chan..." Same eyes too... Cause that wasn't cree-

 

The kid bristled with those words, clenching 'his' fists and growling. "I told you... NOT to call me that, MUTT..." Yeah, 'him' and everyone-

 

Wait what. Call _'me_ ' that? Katsuya turned, staring at the kid with wide eyes before scrambling to his feet. "W...What did you say..?" No way... No way that was what the kid had said right? Apparently it was what she (Definitively 'she' if he was right on this) said.

 

The girl merely scowled at the question, arms still crossed as they stood there in the darkness. "I said, don't call me that! It's all I ever hear from you, and it's the only thing I've been able to hear," she shouted with obvious annoyance. "That's not my name you know! Not by a long shot!" The blond swallowed, slowly crouching down to the girl's level and grabbing her around the shoulders.

 

"Se... Kaiba," he asked hesitantly, the girl frowning. "That... Are you Kaiba..?"

 

"What..." She frowned, as though thinking of something before shaking her head. Her eyes had lost the confidence from before, now simply wide with angered attempts to push back. "No... I... I didn't... Get off me," she shouted, pushing away the blond's arms with a scowl. As Katsuya stood back up again, he watched the small girl continued to seethe. "That... That's not what I said, I just said not to call me that, moron!" Yeah, she also just said her name wasn't Kaiba, so what the hell did that even mean! The only person he'd ever called 'Seto-chan' was her!

 

Again the darkness shifted, and the teen and the girl both gave a shiver as a cold chill passed over the room. "Well that's just great," he muttered, scratching his head as he passed off the shift as some sort of 'breeze'. "What the hell does that even mean, you either are or y' aren't, what am I supposed t' call you then..." There was silence in response, and as Katsuya turned to look at the girl he sighed. It was weird. Like... Really weird, talking to a kid who was and wasn't Seto.

 

The girl was staring at the darkness a moment, before turning back to look at her feet. "I..." Her frown deepened, eyes wide as they continued to fixate on the ground. In the end, she merely crossed her arms and turned away with a huff, agitation evident but unmentioned. "Tch..."

 

Yeah. That reaction... It was definitely 'Seto Kaiba'. Another shiver passed through the room, and the pair turned to look forward as an odd shape appeared in the distance. The girl beside him tensed up, and as Katsuya glanced at her again he found himself watching the 'blob' that was appearing. "What th' hell..." The blond stared as it drew closer, shaking his head and squinting. "What is that..." A shadow was appearing... Something so dark that even the black space around them seemed more of a dull grey in comparison to the mass' empty black form. There was no answer to his words however, no 'smart-ass' remark, and as he turned to look at 'Seto' he found the chill in the room growing colder. "Hey... S... Kid?" That was so weird... Couldn't call her 'Seto-chan', or 'Seto' as expected, but he couldn't call her 'Kaiba' either... (What was wrong with his dreams..?) The girl didn't answer, merely staring off at the distant shadow forming. "Hey..." He shook the girl's shoulder, frown deepening with worry as he received still no response. "Hey! Wake up!" The girl swallowed, still saying nothing as she stared. The 'shadow' began to come closer, a long slit of 'gold' appearing in the center. What the hell...

 

The slit began to open, and as Katsuya looked toward the shade with wide eyes he finally pulled his thoughts together. Running. 'Seto' had obviously been running from something, and he had a feeling he'd found what that was! Taking a nervous step back before finally grabbing the girl by the waist, he tossed her on one shoulder before belting in the opposite direction of the shadow. Damn it... Damn it, what the hell was wrong with these dreams! Giant shadow things, mini-child-size Seto-chan's... (Who were still just as jerky...) At least this one remembered him but-!

 

Behind them the shadow was still growing. Larger and larger, encompassing the room and spreading across the sides and ceiling above him as he ran. Katsuya chanced a look behind him, blood growing cold as the slit on the shadow's form opened completely. Gold... An immense eye lined with gold stared toward them, the sclera a shade of black mimicking the 'not-so-dark' darkness around them. The iris itself however was a solid gold, gleaming wickedly in its own light. Lines of equal hue wrapped around the eye, encompassing it in a elongated ellipse that reminded him far too much of the thing he and the others found in their soup. "Shit," he muttered, picking up speed as his bare feet slapped across the ground. "SHIT SHIT _SHIT SHIT SHIT_!" Shadows continued to increase from behind, the stare of the eye sending a constant bout of shivers down his spine.

 

"Hnn... What..." Oh fuck, of all the times to wake u- Mutterings came from his shoulder, the blond looking back toward her and mentally groaning. "H-Hey!" The girl jerked, turning on Katsuya regardless of being carried off fire-fighter style from something that would probably be at home in Bakura's board games. "Put me down you stupid mutt!" She attempted to smack the blond's head, Katsuya gritting his teeth as childish demands continued to rip through his ears. "Put me down!"

 

God damn it god damn it god damn it... He continued running, making a sharp turn in a failed attempt to lose the shadow. "Now ain't the time kid!" 'Seto' tensed, gripping Katsuya's back with a growl.

 

"D-Don't call me a kid!"

 

"I kinda ran out of name options a while ago, 'SETO-CHAN!'"

 

"DON'T CALL ME SETO-CHAN!"

 

"Well screw you too, 'Princess'!"

 

"AAAARRGGH!"

 

_'Hnhnhnhnhnhn...'_ The two stopped their shouting abruptly, 'Seto' and Katsuya both turning their heads as the shadow behind them began to laugh. They stared, swallowing loudly as the eye behind them grew in size and detail both, ripples of gold bleeding into the sclera as they turned back. That sound... Katsuya shuddered as the girl in his grip grew dangerously silent, eyes wide as the laughter echoed around the room. That was way too familiar to certain other's laugh for his comfort...

 

"G-!" Abruptly the blond skidded to a stop, the shadows spreading full circle around him from the distance. There was still a good deal of space between himself and the shadows both, but now that they were surrounded it was easy for the 'enemy' to close in. He grimaced, both arms clutching 'Seto' protectively as the girl looked around in silence as well. "Awww, _shit!_ " On his shoulder, 'Little Seto' as he was mentally calling her gave another shiver. Looking toward her with worried eyes, he mentally winced as he was faced with a standard 'Kaiba Glare' for his efforts.

 

"Tch... Good job mutt," she said with a swallow, tone and expression betraying the mood she had wanted to convey. "You got us both cornered!" Oh, so this was 'his' fault then?

 

"I got us cornered? Are y' serious?" He looked at the girl incredulously, receiving nothing more than an intense glare in response. Yeah, she would blame him, wouldn't she.

 

Opening his mouth to speak again, he froze as the 'Eye' appeared before them to laugh yet again. ' _Hnhnhnhnhnhn... Found you,_ ' The shade said with a cold and echoing tone, coming closer and closer with a laugh. ' _Time to go to sleep.._.' Again, 'Seto' gave a shudder, eyes wide as she looked from Katsuya's shoulder at the 'thing' before them. It was scary... Not just the shadow, but how quiet the girl was right now. The blond bit his lip, looking back at the eye as any remaining blood he had drained from his face. What was going on here. ' _Just come along now...'_ He held the girl tight, 'Seto' not even making a noise in annoyance as they both stared at the shadow. Not letting go... He couldn't let go, but at the same time he had no clue what this thing could even do! Shit...

 

Shit! "Who the hell are you?" Katsuya bit out, the shadow momentarily halting in its advance. "What do you want with her?" Silence was his answer for a few moments- the shadow's eye was tilting to the side, as though in thought. Finally, it turned back to its original level and narrowed slightly in apparent proud pleasure.

 

' _There was a piece missing,_ ' it said rather plainly, the 'gold' in its eye finally filling around the empty iris completely save a single black and empty 'slat'. 'Seto', who had slipped down from the shoulder to Katsuya's front winced again, pulling close regardless of previous actions. Briefly, he wished it was the 'real Seto'. The tall woman who had been dragged off by one of Pegasus' men. But this was just a dream wasn't it?   
  
So he told himself, but he couldn't help but feel that if he whined about that kind of thing right now, he would end up losing completely. The shadow's 'eye' narrowed, empty 'space' in the gold sclera cut partially.

 

_'Let me take it.'_

 

Scared... This thing was damn frightening, not that he was saying that. He grit his teeth, drawing back from the shadow regardless of being surrounded. "Like hell I'll do that," he said shakily, the shadow merely 'staring' as the blond steeled himself. "Answer me," he roared, grip on the girl tightening as she continued to shake. "Who are you!" More silence, and the shadows drew closer. There were only a few feet of space around them, and whatever was coming out of Seto's mouth at the moment wasn't coming out easily.

 

"G-Ghh..." 'Seto' clutched his shirt tightly, as if fighting against the hold of something while she grit her teeth. "Nngh... Ngh..." Across from him the eye narrowed in mirth yet again, 'shivering' with another wave of chuckles.

 

' _Me..?'_ it asked, blinking slowly before continuing its stare. The shadows closed in, Katsuya tensing further as the voice that sounded eerily like Pegasus continued to float around the room and through his ears. ' _I'm no one... I'm just a card. But why would you care,_ ' it continued, narrowing again as it continued to draw closer. ' _Why would you care what I do with this little soul piece? This isn't yours anyways..._ '

 

"Ghnn... Jonouchi," the girl on his shoulder hissed, Katsuya turning for a moment. Some sort of.. 'Hand'... Was making its way up the girl's ankle, others snaking around in an attempt to pull her out. "J... Jonouchi..!" The blond grit his teeth, before staring the eye down and tightening his grip. He attempted to kick back the approaching shadows, eyes wide as his feet met with air.

 

"Get away," he muttered, watching as the shadows merely continued to advance. Waves of cold continued to wash over him, and the blond began to shake. Damn it... "Get away..!" The grip on his shirt tightened, and he turned his head toward Seto as she looked toward him. Her eyes were wide with fear, an expression far different from what he was used to from the little one's 'real' counterpart. He'd only seen the expression once before, in the final match of Death-T when...

 

"J...Jonouchi," the girl repeated, voice barely more than a whisper. "Hide me..." What? He stared as the words that were so unlike the girl were stated, watching as 'Seto' gave another shudder and tightened her grip even more. "Hide me... Get me away... Get me out of here!" she screamed, the shadows beginning to wrap around her waist even in the blond's hold, Katsuya tensing as he fought against the pull. Seto's eyes were wide and no emotions were hidden in her expression as the girl continued to scream. Katsuya watched in horror as he realized that where the shadows had touched the body was gone. Legs were completely enveloped, and the shadows were making their way up... All she had was her chest, her arms... Her face... "GET ME OUT OF HERE!" No...

 

No! "Damn it..." He grit his teeth, looking at the girl with equally wide eyes before continuing. "Hold on," he told her, before turning on the 'eye' with a glare. Just hold on..! This thing... He couldn't fight this thing, but if he just let it take 'little Seto' then what did that mean for the real one? 'Soul pieces', 'missing pieces'... The gold in the eye looked like a giant puzzle, complete with tiny lines running through the entire thing. What did this all mean... What did it mean..! 'This isn't your head,' she had shouted in annoyance. 'You should know how to get out of your own mind!' Well that was all just fine, but if this wasn't his head then whose was it! The shadows were coming closer, the child-version of Seto still clinging to his shirt in fear. Katsuya found himself with little more than a few centimeters of space around his feet, the blond staring at the 'eye' with rage filled eyes. Damn it... Damn it... He closed his eyes, adjusting his hold and curling over in an attempt to shield the girl from the approaching shadows. If he could wake up...

 

If he could just wake up...

 

"Get away," he shouted, the room suddenly beginning to quake as the mantra ran through his mind. Wake up, wake up... He needed to wake up! Cracks began to appear in the darkness, places of the 'walls' peeling away as the 'eye' before them froze. Katsuya didn't pay it any mind, eyes still squeezed shut as he continued to shout. Wake up... Wake up... " _I SAID GET AWAY GOD DAMN IT!_ " The sound of collapse echoed around the room, cracks in the 'sky' beginning to widen. He opened his eyes, staring at the shadow with rage as its darkness began to steadily be pushed back by the original 'dark grey' room. 'Rocks' of darkness fell to the ground, a thundering boom echoing about with each collapse.

 

The 'eye' before them tensed as the shadows were forced back, looking around in horror. ' _What... What are you doing..._ ' The darkness continued to recede, only centimeters away from coming within the boundaries of the eye itself. ' _What...'_ Katsuya looked forward, breathing heavily as he stared the eye down. If this wasn't his head, then he would have to get out of it... And if this thing wasn't from this head either, then obviously it had a way out...

 

And in that case... "HAAAAAAAHHHH!" The blond charged the eye with a roar, 'little Seto remaining still silent as he rushed. "HANG ON," he shouted to her, the girl growing limp in his arms. "This time... I ain't stopping!" The eye before him widened, and with a leap the blond took aim. The only way out... Don't hit the gold, hit the-

 

He dove through the pupil of the eye, the single hole that led to nothingness. Katsuya's eyes squeezed shut, his grip tight as he held 'Seto' ...And in the distance he could hear an enraged roar, the sounds of continued collapse...

 

And then silence. Silence...

 

And a little girl's voice.

 

"..W...What..." The blond slowly opened his eyes, blearily wincing as a bright lamp light hit him in the face. Agggh... Not the best thing to jump into after the darkness from-

 

His eyes widened, Katsuya sitting up in shock. This was... "This hall..." He'd been here before. The night before when he'd been running down the halls, past vase after vase of flower after flower... He blinked, turning to where 'Seto' was standing up with a red face. Hair was still in tatters... Did Seto ever really have hair like that? The blond tensed slightly as his eyes moved to where the girls legs should have been, frowning. No feet. Her body faded out to nothingness from the shirt down... Whether or not this was why she was so nervous he didn't know, but he wouldn't blame her if it was.

 

"Gh... Y-You..." Seto took a breath, appearing to try and calm herself down with little success. "What did you do..?" Well, that was some 'thank-you'... He stared, frowning slightly as he thought back to the 'other dream'. The giant eye he'd jumped through on a whim... What did he do? He didn't know. He'd just... Gone with it.

 

"I... ...I don't..." He steeled himself, before smirking. Well... It didn't really matter much now, now did it? "Heh... You said 'get me outta here' didn't yah?" At the silence he got in response, he turned to stare down the hall, shaking his head. This was the 'half way point' it looked like. Least they hadn't popped up on the other end. "Sheesh... From one dream to th' next, how does that even work..." He yawned, taking a seat and leaning against the wall. Damn he was tired... How did that work, he was asleep but still exhausted? "For someone who ain't Seto-ch... Kaiba," he corrected, ignoring the sound of disgruntlement from the 'little one', "You're sure a pain in th' ass..."

 

The girl snorted, arms crossed as her expression quickly became that of the 'standard' glare once more. "Tch! Then why did you bother doing anything at all, Mutt?" She was turned away, scowling as she stared at one of the hall's many vases. Why?

 

"...B'cause I..." Why did he... This wasn't the 'real' Seto, it was just a weird looking, 'kid version' but... He paused, before smirking. "Cause I don' want you t' leave," he finally said, giving a shrug. Why'd he do it? Because he wanted to he supposed. And maybe... "I'd say more," the blond continued, leaning against the wall, "But y'd probably tell me you weren't that person!" The smirk grew into a grin, and the blond laughed as 'Seto' merely gave him a confused glare. "Well..." He yawned, slumping slightly against the hall. "Should be safe here... 'S my dream after all..." God he needed a break... Too much weird in his head. The grin softened to a smile, and he closed his eyes. "Jus' don' go down any secret passages, th' dream went... R..Really weird after that..."

 

"H...Hey..." Seto frowned, floating over from across the hall as the blond's vision began to blur. Sleep oughta fix all this right... Hwaaah...

 

"Night Seto-chan..."

 

"HEY!"

 

* * *

 

" _HEY,_ " a voice called out, Katsuya jerking awake at the sound. Angered shouts faded somewhat into the air, and he looked around the dark bedroom with a frown. What the...

 

He shook his head, rubbing his face as he tried to get over his dream. Shouts were still going. Must be a weird echo memory or whatever. God... Weirdest dream ever...

 

" _What are you doing in front of Jonouchi-kun's room_ ," he heard someone shout, drowsy brain quickly identifying it as Yugi. What... Who was...

 

Someone was in front of his door? " _FUCK_!," came another familiar sound, the blond quickly hopping out of his bed and scrambling for the door at the sound. Not that voice... Shit not that voice... " _Just shut up,_ " Keith continued to shout, the sound of something hitting a wall coming from outside the door. "And go back to sleep!"

 

Katsuya opened his door, running out into the hall with narrowed eyes. Keith was picking Yugi off the ground, muttering something under his breath as he leaned over the boy with a snarl. Sunglasses had clattered to the ground, and in the dim moonlight he could see a scrape on Yugi's cheek. Keith pulled a fist back as Katsuya came near, preparing a punch... The hell that was happening! He stalked over in an instant, roughly grabbing the man's wrist and pulling the arm back behind with a growl. The man snarled in response, a sick 'pop' noise coming through the air as the shoulder was dislocated and the American himself pushed off to the side. Tch...

 

He fixed a glare to the man, watching as his target slowly stood to his feet. "Bastard," he muttered, hands still held limply at his sides as Keith stood to rub his shoulder. The American took a solid grip of the injured area in question, and with a loud crack had pushed the shoulder back into place. Ignoring the sound as Yugi winced from the side, his eyes narrowed further. "Think you can get away with hitting my friends?" Keith merely snorted, saying nothing as he grabbed his sunglasses from the ground and charged. As Katsuya dodged to make a strike however, so did Keith, the American ducking below the punch before getting caught in the face by the teen's own brow.

 

"Ack-!" Keith stumbled slightly, cursing under his breath before being thrown back further by a knee to the gut. "NGH..Ghhgg..." The man fell to the ground, slowly picking himself up and holding his nose. It was hard to tell in the dark, but the sound of someone trying not to sniff made it fairly evident that the slight dark blotches on Keith's face were splashes of blood from the strike before. There was more cursing, Keith slowly moving his hand back from his face to fix a glare at the blond before him. "You... Hn! Bastard...”

 

Couldn't even fight. "You might be good at cards Keith," the blond muttered with a glare, hands still held to the side as he spoke, "But yer fighting is worse than a five year old's... Consider yerself lucky," he growled, watching as Keith wiped the blood from his face with a glare. "I'm saving these hands t' draw cards against you t'morrow!" As Keith continued to curse, Katsuya's own stare narrowed as well. "Don' think I won't use my feet though," he added, moving to help Yugi. With those words Keith had tensed slightly, as though reconsidering (for once) his next few actions."Now beat it!"

 

"Hah!" The American smirked, turning and disappearing down the hall no questions asked. It felt weird, the other leaving without another word. But at this point, he didn't want to bother looking into it more. ...God, he thought to himself, shaking his head. What an asshole...

 

He knelt down beside Yugi, glare becoming more of a worried look as he looked over the boy's face. It was definitely going to bruise. Would be one hell of a shiner, that was for sure. "Hey Yugi," he whispered, deciding against waking anyone else up. "You alright man?" The boy nodded, rubbing his cheek as he answered. There was a little bit of blood there as well...

 

How Keith's punch managed to scrape Yugi's cheek open was a good question in itself. "Y..Yeah," he said quietly, before the sound of a door opening came from behind.

 

"Hn..." They turned, blinking as Anzu walked out with a yawn. Idly, Katsuya noted she was wearing a nightgown- where the hell had she gotten that? "Yugi?" she asked, as she opened the door more, frowning slightly. "Jonouchi..? ...What's going on out here," she continued, stepping out of the room and squinting into the darkness. "I heard shouts..."

 

"Anzu..." The blond shuffled slightly as he moved to check over Yugi's face, biting his lip before turning back to the woman. Right... Shiner or no shiner, this would have to get cleaned, that was for sure. "Hey, you have th' first aid kit from Mai's bag," he asked with a frown, the woman blinking in response. "Need a bandage f'r Yugi's face..." The woman stared, before nodding and disappearing into the room. Turning back to Yugi, Katsuya watched as the boy looked at him with a frown.

 

"...Jonouchi-kun," he finally said, sitting up with a slight wince.

 

"O-Oi," he muttered, frowning. "Don't move jus' yet, weren't you thrown against th' wall..?" There definitely wasn't anything else that would have made that sound... And besides, he knew a thing or two about injuries given all the fights he'd gotten in. Yugi laughed slightly, giving the blond a wry smile.

 

"I've had worse," he said, Katsuya wincing in response. Course... There was also that... "But in any case... Jonouchi-kun," Yugi asked again, frown growing slightly. "What was Keith doing in front of your room..?" In front of his room? Keith was standing by his door?! He frowned, turning to look down the hall. Damn... That couldn't be good...

 

"I dunno," he muttered, door opening behind them again as Anzu came over. "'S late though," he continued, taking the first aid kit from the woman beside him and pulling out a bit of gauze and wipes. "Maybe he went t' the wrong room... Wouldn' put it past him," the blond added with a snort, handing the kit back to Anzu. "Place is like a maze..." Not to mention that the guy smelled like beer. And if his dad had issues with finding the bathroom in an apartment drunk... "Anyways," he continued, holding the things in one hand and helping Yugi up. "C'mon, we need a light f'r this an' I'm not looking around f'r th' hall light when we got a room right here..."

 

Probably should have asked if they could use the room now that he thought about it... Oh well. His friend nodded, rubbing his shoulder from where he the wall and going slightly red as they went back into Anzu's room. It was the same size as his own room as best he could tell. All of them were, it was almost like a hotel- there was even a bathroom attached. The blond walked in slowly, and as Yugi took a seat on the bed Anzu grabbed the rest of the first aid equipment from Katsuya.

 

"O-Oi.." At the woman's raised eyebrow he stopped, hands in front of him in 'submission' as Anzu turned back to face Yugi. Ok... If... If she wanted to deal with it that bad then he was ok with that... Katsuya leaned against the door, watching as Anzu took a seat on the bed beside Yugi.

 

"Alright," she said, the boy going slightly more red as she moved closer. "Lets get this cleaned up, turn this way..."

 

"I-It's fine Anzu," the boy was muttering, shuffling back slightly. Katsuya crossed his arms, smirking as Anzu continued trying to get at his face with the wipe. Hahaha... The dreaded sting of cleaning alcohol...

 

Anzu merely smiled wryly, crossing her arms for a moment. "You say that now, but who knows where Keith's hands have been? Come on," she continued, Yugi scowling but nonetheless staying put as the woman moved dab his face with the wipes. "There we go..." The wipe was drawn across the slightly bloodied cheek, Yugi hissing as the alcohol on the wipe bit at his skin.

 

"Ack!"

 

The woman smiled, raising an eyebrow as she leaned back. "Oh come on, it can't hurt that much," she said, reaching forward with the wipe again. "Hold still, I barely even touched you!" Hahahaha... Well, that was enough for him...

 

Katsuya shook his head, laughing slightly before turning to leave the room. "Well," he decided, opening the door and turning back to the others with a grin. "I can see I'm not needed here..." As the two turned his way to blink, the blond gave a small wave and shrugged. "I'm headin' back t' bed! See you in th' morning guys!"

 

"Okay," Yugi said from behind, Anzu adding in a 'Good night!' before the door shut. Whew... That was weird. He walked back to his room giving a yawn as he walked back inside and shut the door behind him. Between messed up dreams and that crap with Keith... Man. He glanced at the clock, shaking his head. God... Three AM too. The blond collapsed on his bed, staring at the ceiling with a groan. Three AM and he'd spent most of the night in a weird ass dream... Speaking of that dream he thought with a frown, hands behind his head as he continued to stare. Why was it that it was so important that it wasn't his head? And where the hell did he get that idea from anyways, dreams were supposed to be weird memories on shuffle right?

 

Then again, there was the one he had before Kaiba showed up the night before, with the dragon and the insults... And he was pretty sure he'd never seen nor worn a dog kigurumi, particularly outside of his toddler years. (...Not... That he'd worn anything like that as a kid...) And the Pegasus dream was just... Weird. Golden eye staring at him and Mokuba's card-

 

"Hihhhh..." The blond shuddered, pushing the dream out of his mind. Couldn't think of that... He couldn't think of that, not when he only had one shot at fixing it as it was. "God... I gotta get some sleep," he muttered, rolling over in the bed. Just... Close his eyes, hopefully not have any more weird dreams... Curling up in the blanket in silence, Katsuya gave one last final yawn before closing his eyes. Just sleep... He'd need as much rest as possible in the morning after all... So he needed sleep...

 

Sleep...

 

Drifting off, he didn't realize he was being watched...

 

* * *

 

_-Bzzzzz_

 

"Hnn..."

 

_-Bzzzzzzzzzzz_

 

"Hnnnggg..!"

 

_-BZZZZZZZZZZZZZ_

 

"AAAGH DAMN IT!" Katsuya jerked up from the bed with a roar, slamming a hand on the clock beside him. "Shut UP! ...Eh..." The blond blinked, looking around the room with wide eyes. No one was there. So where had the sounds-

 

He turned, looking at the clock and sheepishly rubbing his head with a laugh. Ooh... Hahaha... Right. He'd set the clock for eight so he couldn't sleep through the tournament... He scratched his head, stretching as he headed over to a door at the side of the room. Right... Well he decided with a yawn, cracking his neck as he walked into the bathroom, might as well shower now that he had the chance... Hell, might be his last.

 

...Don't think of that...

 

Running the water in the shower he gave another stretch, waiting for it to heat up. Sitting at the side and holding his hand under the water as he waited he frowned, staring at the wall. Ended up with a dreamless sleep after he went back to bed the night before. A great change, other than the part where he'd gotten a paranoid feeling the entire damn time, regardless of it being 'dreamless'. Maybe he just wasn't really asleep, who the hell knew... The shower heated up, and taking his things off he got in and attempted to calm down. Alright... Shower time! Lets see...

 

He frowned as he looked at the shelf on the side of the shower, before poking his head past the curtain to look at the counter. Please have shampoo, please have sh- Nothing was on the counter.

 

Damn it. He knocked his head against the wall, groaning. "Man... Not even a soap bar..." Sure there was a towel on the side but... Sheesh, he'd have thought a guy like Pegasus would leave those in the bathrooms... Well. Probably should have checked before getting in he supposed... "Agghhh damn it..." Man... Not much else point in standing there really. The shower was clicked off, and he shook his head in a slight attempt to dry off. Eh...

 

Rinse was better than nothing he guessed. Better than having blood on his head from the night before.

 

"...Eugh..."

 

Don't think about having Keith on his face. That was... Yeah. Beating the snot out of people was one thing but... Keith blood. On his face. Eggggghhh... He grabbed his clothes, getting dressed and packing up within a few minutes. Anyway. Today was the day. Time to get going! Stay positive, win the duels, and by the end of the day he'd be trading insults with Seto-chan while Mokuba laughed at the side! Yeah...

 

He nodded to himself, the image of the currently non-existent event banishing the remainders of his negative mood. Maybe it was just him but... Something felt different that day. Opening the door wide, he went across to rap on Honda's door with a grin. Really different... Who knew, maybe the others would be optimistic about things as well! "Oiiii Honda..!" There was no answer for a few minutes, and the blond shrugged. Well, his own fault if he was doing something weird then... He pushed the door open, walking in with the grin still in place. "Hope yer awake, cause I'm gonna find a bucket 'f water if y' ain-" Silence was his answer, that and an untouched bed and a trench coat on the floor next to a headband. "...Eh..." The blond stared, frowning as he looked around the door. Hn. Where the hell was he..?

 

He walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him and thinking back to the night before. ' _I'll get their bodies first chance I get tonight,_ ' he'd said. ' _You and Yugi deal with Pegasus._ ' So then Honda was probably still wandering around the castle... Shit. Better not have gotten caught by any of the guards...

 

He moved next door, knocking on the side as he put a smile back on his face. "Ah well..." Honda could take care of himself; and there was no way Pegasus would be snatching his soul, that was for sure! He'd pay dearly if he did... "Bakura," he called, pausing in wait of a response. Now Honda was one thing, but there was no way that Bakura had-

 

...There wasn't an answer...

 

"...Oi... Bakura?" Another knock, and still no answer. Kay... He knew that Bakura was a light sleeper so... There was no way he was ignoring that right? "I'm comin' in Bakura," he shouted, pushing the door open and walking in. "Better not be doin' anything w...eird..." He trailed off, frowning as he looked around the room. Bed was slightly mussed, but otherwise nothing but some clothes on the ground (He'd been smart enough to pack pajamas at least...), backpack at the side... "What the hell..!" The teen grabbed his head, before throwing his hands in the air and walking back out with a scoff. "Sheesh, this better not be a trend..."

 

"What's a trend?" came Anzu's voice on the side, Katsuya turning as the woman closed her room door. Oh... Not a trend any more, that was for sure. "Is Bakura awake yet?"

 

He shrugged, shaking his head at the question. "Hah, if he ain't, he's gonna be uncomfortable when he does..." If he'd fallen asleep in the hall, he didn't envy him one bit. He moved over to Yugi's door, opening it without a knock as Anzu merely followed with a raised eyebrow. Not like Yugi would be doing anything weird... ...Not with his grandpa in the camera after all. Not like last time he walked in on Honda... (God that was scary.) "Hey Yugi," he called, leaning against the door frame as the boy turned around from where he was picking up his puzzle. Oh hey, he was all set! "Well, looks like I don' have t' wake you up," he said with a grin, putting his hands in his pockets. "Lookin' good man!" Leather leather and... More leather.

 

Big change from the kid who wore his school uniform on the weekend, that was for sure! Yugi grinned, nodding in response. "Hah, yep! Good-morning guys!"

 

Beside him, Anzu moved into the room as well, giving the boys both a nervous smile. "Well," she said, turning to Yugi for the moment before the smile widened. "Today's the big day right?" Yeeep!

 

Katsuya nodded, smiling. "Got that right... Yugi, you ready? We didn' exactly get a map of this place, an' I wanna find th' arena b'fore we're late y'know?" Normally late wouldn't be an issue but... Well. Soul stealing and such aside, they'd probably end up missing the tournament if that happened. And he wasn't really planning on that. His friend gave a nod, throwing the puzzle over his neck and grabbing his school jacket in one swift motion. A wave of energy passed through the room... For a brief instant, the same 'earthquake noises' he'd heard before had echoed around, before stopping. Turning toward them, the 'Other Yugi' gave them his usual narrowed eye smirk before nodding yet again.

 

"Alright," he said, grabbing the rest of his things from the table as he hung the jacket around his shoulders. Which led him to 'School uniform on the weekend? Really?'... "Let's go!" Eh, overused jackets aside...

 

He couldn't say it any better himself! "Alright! Let's move then!"

 

They walked out of the room, Anzu turning to the blond with a cough as the door was shut behind them. "So," she asked, arms crossed behind her back. "You were saying about Bakura..?" The woman looked around as she said this, as though to ask about the other missing from the group.

 

The blond blinked, before frowning. "Ah.. Right... Yeah, Bakura an' Honda, they ain't in their rooms..." He shrugged awkwardly, turning away. "Er... Who knows where they went really..." Still in the castle probably. Anzu raised an eyebrow, but nonetheless took the words as truth. The three fell silent for a moment, turning the corner to find the same bandaged suit from before standing by a pair of double doors.

 

"Ah," he began, bowing his head. "Duelists of the Championship Tournament... We've been waiting for you," the man continued, stepping to the side and gesturing to the door. "Please, enter the duel room!"

 

The boys nodded, pushing the doors open and walking in to stand on the floor of 'arena room's bottom. Behind them Anzu followed, moving to the side where there was a bench of sorts to sit. Aside from the bench however the room was fairly empty, and there was only one real noticeable difference between the room at the moment and the room from before- Namely that the 'arena' itself had been lowered into the floor, table and chairs already flipped out and waiting. Of course, there was also the fact that there were actually people there... Leaning against opposite walls were Mai and Keith, the boys both turning toward the former as she smiled and gave a wave.

 

"Hnhnhnhn... Morning boys," she said with a wink, arms crossed as she held her deck. "Looks like the time to decide the strongest on the island has come, hasn't it?" As Yugi nodded at the statement a rough chuckle came from the side, cutting off what would have been a response to the woman.

 

"Hahaha... Hey, 'Joey'," Keith called from the side, the blond in question turning with narrowed eyes. Stop getting his name wrong... "If you can make it to the duel table, I'm gonna make you pay for last night... Hahahahaha..." 'If'? What was he on about..? And like he'd be able to land a single punch right! "Hope you're ready, fucker!" He rolled his eyes, snorting. Again with the halfassed insults...

 

"Whatever Keith," he said with a glare, hands still in their pockets. "You can put your cards where yer mouth is, cause championship titles or not you're goin' down!" Preferably in two ways, rather than one. At those words Keith merely chuckled darkly, Katsuya's frown deepening in response. Was he confident or just... Nuts..? (He wouldn't doubt the last one...)

 

The sound of slamming doors came from above to cut his thoughts, those in the room turning toward the source of the sound in an instant. Looking up at the small balcony seat at the end of the room they watched as the so called 'ruler' of the Duelist Kingdom walked out before them. Two guards flanked his sides, and standing before his chair in the center Pegasus moved to address the people below him. "Welcome proud duelists," he cried, arms crossed as he shouted. "Welcome to this holy place, this place sanctified by our duels!" ...What. He stared, frowning in confusion as Yugi seethed beside him. Well it was great that he was focused but. Seriously... 'Holy'? Far from it. More like the castle from hell... Pegasus continued to stare down, hands moving to the side in an 'open' gesture. "The Tournament Finals begin now," he called out, Keith and Mai coming in from the sides to stand with the other two on the arena. "The one who survives these finals will be given the prize of champions," the man continued with a grin, one of the guards from the side moving back to grab something. "Allow me to give you a preview!" An elaborate chest was hauled forward by the guards as the second went back to help, the men placing it on the railing before opening the lid. Though difficult to see from above, it was clear that it was filled to the brim with gold and jewels, the chest itself just as elaborately decorated. "A prize of two hundred thousand dollars!"

 

"T-TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND ..!" He stared, before counting numbers on his fingers in an attempt to convert it. "Holy shit... How much is that in yen..!" Get Seto-chan, get Mokuba, get Sugoroku-jii, maybe get enough money for Shizuka... (How much was this..?)

 

Beside him, Mai was absolutely beaming, expression akin to Mokuba's when he'd been in Osaka. "Oh my god..!" She shook, as though fighting not to jump for joy in that instant. "That's over sixteen million yen, I'm going to be rich!" Sixteen mi-

 

That really _would_ be enough for...

 

Before he or Yugi could say anything on that bit outloud (Sorry Mai, but they wouldn't be losing...), the guards up top shouted down and moved the chest back. "Hold on," the left one stated, frowning as he leaned over the side. "You won't just get the prize by beating the other three finalists!"

 

"That's right," stated the second guard, albeit apparently more lax in his mood. "You have to beat Pegasus-sama, the 'King of the Duelist Kingdom' first!" Tch. 'King' indeed.

 

As the men stepped back to put the chest away, Pegasus chuckled. He was now sitting down rather calmly, legs crossed as he shook his head and 'sighed'. "I wonder," he said loudly, not looking at the crowd for the moment. "Just who is it that will defeat me? Hnhnhnhnhn!" He grinned as he looked back down, a small but evident form of maliciousness visible in the expression. "I'm looking forward to it..!" Tch... Pegasus wasn't about to separate from that much cash at all Katsuya thought with a scowl, Mai's expression having fallen as well with the mention of beating Pegasus. They'd all seen the match between he and Seto. And while it was obvious that Keith wasn't affected, they all knew the risks. If they lost... Then the chances of leaving with their lives let alone that much money was slim to none. He clenched his jaw, eyes narrowing. That was _if_ though! They wouldn't lose... He wouldn't lose!

 

Everyone was riding on himself and Yugi, and no matter what at least one of them would have the satisfaction of making the man's game blow up in his face! Guarantee it. "If you could now clear the arena stage," the man from before stated, waving the four from the area. Katsuya moved off to the side with a nod, taking a seat next to Anzu and leaning back. "We will begin the first match; Mutou Yugi and Kujaku Mai," he continued as Keith as well moved to stand on a separate area of the room. "Please prove your right to duel, and reveal your 'Honor' cards!" In the center of the arena, Mai and Yugi both pulled out their respective cards, the 'announcer' bowing his head and stepping aside. Alright... Round one, time to go! "Go for it Yugi," he shouted, grinning as the two took their seats. Nothing against Mai but... He would really rather not go through another series of 'harpie lady bondage' again.

 

Really.

 

Besides, this was Yugi. And while Mai was great and all, he and Yugi kinda had something more than perfume riding on this. Speaking of Yugi... The blond stared, watching his friend with a frown. Huh. He was... Really not looking at Mai. Katsuya blinked, watching as Mai frowned in response; she'd obviously noted the kind of stare Yugi was fixing at her. Namely a blank one that wasn't quite looking at all. If anything he was constantly flicking his eyes toward P-

 

...Toward _Pegasus_. God damn it. He rubbed his head as the duel began officially, shaking his head. Well, he was definitely focused on the guy... But he'd better put just as much into the duel now!

 

Katsuya stared at the board as Mai summoned her Harpy Lady, watching the bird-woman preen itself before giving a threatening screech toward the woman's opponent. Yeah... That was a little new. Not the monster of course but. That was weird. (At least they weren't life sized...) "Harpy Lady again," he muttered, raising his eyebrow. "Sheesh, if I beat that then Yugi's gonna fly through this..." That or it would be really awkward by the end of the day. As if to answer to that, the harpy on the table turned to send a rather piercing glare and screech at him, the blond tensing in response. Nh- for fuck's sake, how the hell did it hear that! He was three meters away damn it...

 

"I don't know Jonouchi," Anzu said from beside him, drawing his attention back. The woman was staring at the board, frowning. "Mai has a trap set too..." Hn?

 

He blinked, looking at the board briefly as Yugi summoned Gaia before turning back to Anzu. "Yeah," he said, "But what kinda trap could cause serious damage in that deck..? Not like Yugi's going t' jus' run in and attack!" Before Anzu could answer, a shout came from the table, along with a fairly stunned whinny from Gaia's horse-

 

" _He attacked his own reflection!_ " Reflection? What?

 

Anzu pointed to the table with raised eyebrows, before crossing her arms. Back on the table, Gaia had managed to get his lance stuck in a wall of ice... And the Harpy Lady was looking all too pleased about that fact, giving a rather mischievous chuckle at the sight. "Apparently he just did..." He frowned at the sight, blinking. "E-Eh..." That was weird...

 

Wasn't like Yugi to just charge into a trap, though thinking back he'd done it before... He shifted uncomfortable as the Harpy Lady began teasing Gaia from the ice, the knight as well looking rather put off by the bird's actions. Oh great. The Harpy Lady had... Bondage on it. Here came Mai's ten hit combo... He shook his head, turning away as Yugi's knight was scratched to pieces and opting to not watch the bloody mess if he didn't have to. (It was still rather upsetting to hear the knight screaming under the attack though...)

 

"Well... Least th' trap is gone right?" Silver lining... Silver lining!

 

The woman shook her head, arms crossed. "Nope." Wh-What? Again, Anzu pointed at the board, and he facepalmed as yet another monster stood stuck in the wall of ice. "Agggh..." Continuous spell... Mai was chuckling from across the field as her opponent's Skull Demon electrocuted itself against the 'Mirror Wall' in an attempt to free itself. The demon roared in annoyance but nonetheless his tactics worked, and he returned to his side of the field to tend to its wounds. Harpy Lady of course, was considerably amused by this. He should probably stop looking at the bird though, because it was starting to give him weird looks... When not preening itself in the mirror wall at least. "Man," he muttered, rubbing his head. What was that? Falling for the same trap twice? "Oi, Yugi!" he shouted, gaining no response. Ignoring that, he continued, cupping his hands for added volume. "What's going on! This ain't like you!" And...

 

Still nothing.

 

Instead Yugi was just seething on the board, glaring at his opponent as though the woman were an ant. "Shit," he said as he crossed his arms, shaking his head. "He ain't thinking at all, s'not like him t' fall for the same trap twice..." Not that he hadn't said it enough of course but... Seriously.

 

Anzu nodded, frowning. "He's too impatient," she stated, shaking her head. "Attacking without thinking... He's distracted," the woman added, turning to Jonouchi briefly. "I doubt we're the only ones who noticed too..." Back at the arena, Mai was muttering something under her breath, a light frown on her face. She wasn't using her 'aromatactics', that was for sure. But Yugi didn't look too pleased about what she was saying either. If anything he looked a little put off, though to be frank both competitors looked fairly ticked. The volume raised, and Katsuya caught the tail end of her words.

 

" _You're thinking about Pegasus, aren't you,_ " she asked angrily, eyes narrowed. As Yugi's eyes widened in response the woman snorted, shaking her head. That would be a 'yes'... " _So I'm not even worth your full attention,_ " she asked, Katsuya groaning from the side. Oh boy... Nice one. Just go ahead and tick off the lady with the bondage deck. Yeah... Great move. Now she'd be making innuendos left right and center! Damn it, he was going to need so much brain bleach after this... And was that harpy posing for the Skull Demon? (Well, it passed the standby phase time he supposed...) " _Really_ ," Mai continued to mutter, arms crossed as she tapped her cards to the table. Her lady instantly snapped to attention, turning upward as she waited for the woman's play. " _You're no better than most of my other opponents! An arrogant little boy!_ " As Mai's voice lowered out of audible range yet again, both Katsuya and Anzu watched as their friend grew steadily tenser.

 

From above, Pegasus almost appeared to stare at the competitors, eye narrowed in evident interest... Did...

 

Was someone whispering, he thought he heard something... Yugi snapped, eyes narrowed as he gripped his cards. "Say that after you win Mai," he spat, face growing read. "Let's get on with the duel!"

 

At this his opponent merely rolled her eyes, arms still crossed. "And now you're trying to intimidate me," she said with a snort, the Harpy Lady below also looking to Yugi with an annoyed shake of the head. Even the Skull Demon was looking up, though his 'look' (It didn't have eyeballs, seriously how...) seemed to convey the message of _'Are you seriously taking this?'_ "Hah... Aggressive men are weak," she muttered frown deepening. "Anger and Machismo, it's all just a bluff to hide their weakness..." The woman narrowed her eyes, looking back to Yugi before continuing. "I'd say I have your current mood dead on, right?"

 

The boy merely growled, clenching his fists. "You shut your-"

 

"Hahaha! And that," Mai said loudly, cutting Yugi off as he spoke, giving a slight chuckle, "Is exactly why you fell into my trap, just as planned!" Ahhh damn it...

 

Katsuya groaned, standing up to shout again. "Hey Yugi!" he called, the boy still not turning. Damn it, just listen already and get into the duel instead of thinking about Pegasus! They'd get him when the time came! "She's just provoking you! Don't listen to her!" But at the same time, please please please stop ignoring her, because the Harpy was doing some weird shit... And she didn't even have her whip yet. "Come on man, pull yourself t'gether!" At the board Yugi continued to glare, though something had changed in the look he was giving. His eyes had snapped back into focus with an added energy, the boy now looking at his opponent with a more severe edge. Mai merely smiled in response, nodding to herself. Well, obviously whatever she was trying to do had worked...

 

Hell if he knew what that was though. "Hnnn..." Katsuya turned, watching as Anzu brought a hand to her chin in thought. "I wonder..." Wonder what? From the arena came a few shouts; ' _The real fight starts now,_ ' Mai was shouting, Yugi giving an equally loud call of ' _Bring it on!_ ' in response. The duel continued, Mai clearing off Yugi's trap card with a spell of her own and forcing the boy into defense. A second equipment card was placed on the Harpy Lady, Katsuya biting his lip and staring at the ceiling as the now bondage clad, whip wielding Harpy Lady proceeded to lash at the Feral Imp on the board with a wicked smirk. Er... 'Punish'... Rather. Those screams didn't sound nearly as tortured as the screech from last duel, that was for sure... (Auuuuggghh his head...) Harpy Lady sure sounded like she was enjoying it..!

 

" _Hnhahahahaha~!_ " And damn it, she still had more upgrades in store, didn't she?

 

"Careful Yugi," he shouted across the room, thinking back to his own match. Bondage, whip... Next stage was... Right! Kaleidoscope! "She's gonna play that card t' get multiple harpies!" Yugi winced with those words, drawing his card. Warning or no warning, now that he thought about it he couldn't really attack with that wall there could he...

 

"I play Saiga," he called, the small wingless dragon appearing beside the Skull Demon. The dragon crouched down with a light 'Rggrn', sound, staring across at the Harpy Lady with a frown. "Defense mode!"

 

"Shit," Katsuya muttered, leaning back against the wall. "If he doesn't get rid of that trap soon he's screwed..." Beside him Anzu nodded, eyes narrowed yet again. Again, it looked like she would say something. Giving an odd glance to him every now and then...

 

Please say something already...

 

"I told Mai about Mokuba," she finally said, crossing her arms as Mai summoned 'Harpies Pet Dragon'. The red-pink dragon appeared in a flurry of wind, long chain leash gripped tightly by the one Harpy Lady on the field. Huh... Weird drago- Wait what? Katsuya turned to the woman, frowning as Anzu continued. She told Mai about... "She came to my room last night, to give me a few things from her bag... While we were talking, she asked about what happened during... During the duel." Her tone softened, and briefly the pair were distracted by Mai's move on the board. It likely wasn't as vicious in Anzu's eyes, but at Mai's command the 'Pet Dragon' had fired an immense blast of fire toward the 'Skull Demon', the bones cracking and turning to dust in an instant. Standing at the side the Harpy Lady laughed, slashing her whip across the ground in wait of the next turn. Damn... At least it was defense mode. What was Anzu saying again? He turned back, the woman continuing. "Listen," she said quietly, turning back from the table herself. "I know that... Those sorts of things are private but... I just didn't want her thinking you were some nutcase or something... I mean, you were actually kind of scary back at the duel..." Scary? Him?

 

Briefly he thought back to the 'aftermath' of Seto's duel, the blond staring at the ground. "It's fine," he muttered, hands stuffed in his jacket pockets. Told Mai about Mokuba... What did that mean? "...What exactly did y' say..?"

 

Anzu blinked, nodding slowly as she answered. "Just 'basics' really... Mokuba is Kaiba's brother, and that you've been staying at their house..." She paused, frowning slightly. "She wanted to know about what happened really, with Pegasus' soul stealing... During the duel, we'd explained about his mind reading, but she didn't seem to believe us at the time." As Katsuya continued to stare, the woman gave a small shrug. "I don't know if she believed me even later but... I think she got it after that. Why you

shouted I mean..."

 

He nodded, turning to the board once more. "Right..." When he thought about it, Honda did have to drag him off... "Well," he decided, attempting at a smile, "'least she knows what Pegasus'll do righ'?" There was no response, and he found himself watching as on the board there was a shout of 'SAINT FIRE GIGA!' A blast of flames engulfed Saiga, the tiny dragon screeching as it vanished into ashes. No more defense monsters... "...'S better that way," he finally said, giving Anzu a sad smile and receiving one from the woman in response. ' _Your friend Jonouchi asked me a riddle during our last duel,'_ Mai was saying, Yugi tensing as the woman continued. Katsuya as well tensed slightly, frowning. The riddle? Why was she bringing up that now? ' _Now I'm asking you Yugi,_ ' the woman continued with a frown. ' _What can you show, that you can't see? If you can't answer it... Then you won't be able to win_!'

 

"Wh-What! Oi!" Katsuya shouted, Mai turning with raised eyebrows. Hang on, what the hell did that riddle even have to do with this! "Do you even know the answer yourself?" Seriously, would she be asking if she did? Answer had nothing to do with this!

 

Nonetheless the woman nodded, giving him a confident smile. "As a matter of fact Jonouchi, I do! I came up with my own answer." Her own answer? While Mai crossed her arms, Katsuya snorted. So it wasn't the 'real' one then. Unless she'd figured it out... And was just being weird about it. Who knew what went through Mai's head. He sure wasn't some mind reader-

 

...Don't think about...

 

"Tch! In that case," he shouted, shaking the thoughts from mind, "Lemme tell you th' answer in Yugi's place! 'Friendship'! The bond between friends! That sound anything like your answer?"

 

Mai shook her head, still smiling. "Afraid not... Not even close! Try again!"

 

Try a- IT WAS THE RIGHT ANSWER! He growled, crossing his arms. Not even close, what the... "Damn it," he growled, bristling as the woman laughed. "Then what is it?" The question remained unanswered, Mai merely turning back to the table with a slightly more depressed smile than before.

 

"You should know," she said as she resumed the duel, settling back into her fight. "Your move, Yugi," the woman told him, Kastuya left scratching his head with a scowl. ' _Something you can show, but can't see_ '... Friendship, the perfume, and (If Time Wizard even counted), time. But the look on Mai's face was different...

 

Instead of seething like he'd thought he would, he ended up just watching the board with a dull frown in silence. _'Something you can show, but can't see'_...

 

What else could it possibly be then..?

 


	19. Iris' Request

The battle went on. High above the arena floor stood Pegasus, watching with his golden eye as a villainous smirk played over his face. Across the room on the exact opposite side was 'Bandit' Keith, whose name had quite likely taken a literal turn since his loss to Pegasus himself. Keith probably couldn't have cared less however, and was obviously paying more attention to the misfortunes of those playing than the duel itself. By the door in the meantime stood the same 'suit' who had as of yet given no name and looked as though he didn't particularly plan to. ' _Crocketts,_ ' a voice seemed to whisper in his ear; the blond held back a shudder at the sound, mentally shaking the unknown and bodiless voice off. Lets try not to lose himself too much today... They were supposed to pay attention.

 

He and Anzu watched as the first match of the semi-finals commenced, Yugi having for only a moment no monsters on the field against Mai's own powered up Harpy Lady and 'Pet Dragon'. Mai's words... _'What can you show that cannot be seen_ '... Katsuya frowned as the riddle came to mind, partially for the fact that Mai brought it up, and partially for the sheer annoyance this 'unknown answer' was proving. His answer was 'wrong', but he knew that the 'situational' ones, the ones that weren't really the answer weren't it. In the end watching the Harpy Lady blow raspberries at him convinced the blond to leave it lie for at least a little bit; the monsters on the duel table were just too distracting. And lest he appear as insane as he figured he was going right now, it would probably be better to just hold his tongue.

 

Because seriously, did anyone else see this? Any of this at all? Back on the board, Yugi had placed one face down card and summoned his Dark Magician, the mage appearing in a swirl of shadows as a large and intricate seal appeared beneath him to herald his appearance. He was in defense mode of course... Rather than the standard 'crouch' that the hologram display was supposed to show however, the magician instead stood with his staff at the ready, eying the Harpy lady with clear distaste. Obviously 'defense' was just a command to the monsters on the board. Whether they crouched down for protection or not was all up to they themselves.

 

Distaste seemed to increase; the Harpy Lady had evidently decided she ought to try and impress her opponent before whipping him to shreds, but all that had happened was the Magician's scowl deepening a fraction. Which the Harpy Lady of course found rather insulting, given her absolutely enraged screeches as her actions stopped. They lasted only a moment however, as the bird turned up toward to her master. " _It's my turn_ ," Mai called out, drawing her next card and looking over it with a slight and approving nod. Mai's expression was determined and very much confident as she placed it on the table, the announced title changing the Harpy Lady's demeanour instantly. As did the Magician's, he noted for a brief moment. " _Shadow of Eyes_ ", she announced, and almost instantly an aroma more potent than all of the woman's perfumes combined came through the air.

 

Katsuya stiffened as the smell wafted through the room, swallowing as the Dark Magician had a similar reaction. This smell... He couldn't identify it, but something about it had him feeling a lot less depressed and sleepy and a lot more... Pumped than he probably should have. Maybe it was the side of his brain that said quite clearly that the Harpy Lady was... Tiny... That held him back. Maybe it was the fact that he had nothing against Mai or the Harpies to begin with, and the two guys he did have a beef with were either out of reach or in the kind of range that would get him disqualified... Which he did not want. But that smell was really... Really...

 

God damn it what was it doing! The Dark Magician looked red in the face and ready for anything, twirling his staff and charging the bird without even the aid of his master's command. The Harpy Lady hadn't even done anything just yet, having merely been stroking her dragon's head before turning with a wicked grin. "' _Shadow of the Eyes lures the enemy into battle,_ " Mai explained, her Harpy Lady more than pleased at the attention she had regained despite its negativity. " _Her battle pheromones stimulate the foe's fighting instincts, drawing them into battle_!" Well, Katsuya thought idly with an awkward cough, watching as the Magician managed to somehow electrocute himself off the 'Mirror Wall' on the field. That was one light way to put it... Looked more like the Dark Magician was trying to screw magic all together in lieu of skewering the bird with his staff! (And had apparently failed... Terribly.) Battle pheromones...

 

What were pheromones again? Damn it... Who the hell knew anymore, the battle was one thing when it was cards, it was something completely different when they pulled science into it. Back 'above' the board Mai was getting rid of Yugi's trap, before destroying the Magician. Damn it, how often was he going to fall for that! The blond grit his teeth, before turning as Anzu tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

 

"Jonouchi," she asked, the blond frowning.

 

"Yeah?" he asked, feeling just slightly agitated about being pulled out of his thoughts. Wait... Why was he mad at Anzu? ...Hell why was he mad about anything! He shouldn't be mad!

 

The woman frowned, leaning back slightly. "Sorry," she finally said, shaking her head. "You just look a little red... Do you still have that cold?"

 

Katsuya frowned, blinking a few times. "What..? The cold..?" No... No he wasn't still sick... He definitely wasn't. And if he did, he'd strangle Haga next time he saw him! (...Where the hell did that thought come from...)

 

She nodded, smiling nervously. "Yeah... You're definitely red right now... Might be a fever or..." Anzu shook her head, turning back to the field for a moment and looking back. "Should I get some medicine, maybe some water, you really don't look..." The woman trailed off as Katsuya continued to growl under his breath, shaking her head and turning back to the battle once again. "Nevermind... It's probably nothing."

 

"W-What's nothing!" Come on, he wasn't red in the face! "I don't have cold damn it!" And he wasn't...Why the hell was he getting pissed about this! The blond shook his head, flush clearing up as the smell from the table began to fade. Why the hell was he getting ticked... Katsuya's frown lightened, and he looked back at the duel table where the Harpy Lady was again playing with her pet dragon. 'Battle Pheromones'. No way that was affecting him right? Hell... He'd accept that 'Crush Card' did something, but 'Shadow of the Eyes'? Seriously?

 

Anzu didn't seem to notice the blond drifting into thought, instead laughing nervously at the last outburst. "Alright then, you don't! Calm down alright..?" Before Katsuya could say anything more on that (Damn it, he wasn't sick!... Stop getting angry.), the woman again frowned and followed her friend's gaze to the board. "This is incredible," she muttered, the blond following her gaze questioningly. Yugi was about as tense in appearance as he had been against Seto, right after the Ultimate Dragon had been summoned. Mai however was far from easing up, though it was clear that she was becoming more and more agitated despite being 'acknowledged' as a 'real opponent' for the moment. "It's as though she's a million times stronger than when she fought you..." A million? Oh come on, it wasn't that much... Even so. He swallowed, staring at the board and nodding in agreement.

 

Definitely not a million, but the fact that she was trouncing Yugi so easily was just a little unnerving... "Yeah..." He shook off the events on the board itself, turning his attention to his friend with a worried frown. "Oi, Yugi!" he shouted, gaining no response. The boy merely stared at the board, frowning as he stared down the opposing monsters. "What's going on?" Even for when he was 'stuck' this was weird... Really, really weird. He wasn't normally this tense! Something seriously had to be up or... Or... "Damn," he muttered, friend still sitting across the table to ponder his move. Or maybe Mai was actually that... "Was it seriously just luck that I beat Mai then..?"

 

There was a shaken head in response to that, the woman having apparently heard them from the arena. "No," she said plainly, crossing her arms and looking at Katsuya a moment. "You didn't just win through luck Jonouchi- when we fought, I was giving it all I had..." The blond frowned, listening as Mai continued. All she had... Then how.. "The truth is," the woman began, pausing a moment before going on, "When you beat me I was devastated. I tried to deny the fact of course," she said with a sigh, shrugging with a sad smile. "Turn my eyes away from the board, from the fact that I'd lost to a kid who knew next to nothing about the game!" Though Katsuya frowned at that, he kept quiet; she sounded like she was going somewhere on this after all... (But 'next to nothing'? Awww, man...) "Even if I looked away however," the woman continued, turning back to the board as the others listened. "Even long after the duel, and after the duel you had with Ryuzaki, I couldn't get that riddle out of my mind. _'Something you can show, but can't see'_... You had me stumped! But when I confronted myself," she stated, nodding slightly to her opponent as she came to her last few words. "My real self... I understood what those words meant. Jonouchi," she called, the blond jumping as Mai suddenly turned on him. "Do you know why you made it this far in the tournament?"

 

He blinked, nodding. "Eh? I- ... Of course I do! My friends," he shouted, thinking back to the few duels he'd had. He wouldn't have even gotten to the island without Yugi... Wouldn't have made it through his first duel without him, his second without the cards he'd had... And if the others hadn't have shown up while he was in that crypt he'd have been locked inside without even knowing it most likely. "That's how a guy like me made it here! Because I had my friends!" That was why. But... Why did she need to know that? What was she getting at? Mai was simply looking at Yugi as she got her response, nodding in agreement to something that was completely beyond Katsuya.

 

"That's right," she was muttering, eliciting more confusion than anger from the blond in return. What was right, he thought with a frown. What was 'right' about that answer... Seriously, the hell? "You know your own weakness," she stated, sending a glance his way for a moment. His weakness... "You accept it, and you try to become stronger in order to overcome it... The courage of a 'true duelist'," Mai continued, turning again to Yugi as the boy listened. "That's what your friend taught me, Yugi." Wait... Because he needed to cheat his way in he was-

 

Wait she was on something completely different here.

 

Katsuya's thoughts were cut yet again as the woman continued, Yugi in question staring with a confused and oddly wide-eyed frown. "It's not in 'victory'," she told him, "That a duelist's courage is tested. It's after they lose, despite having done all they could to do otherwise." After they lose? They continued to stare, still listening as Mai went on. "A strong heart is born only when you are prepared to lose, having accepted your weakness. Yugi," she asked, expression stern and Mai an Anzu both tensing instantly as they thought of the likely answer, "Do you have that courage?"

 

If Anzu and Yugi were thinking back to the duel against Seto, he wasn't surprised. Not at all. During those last moments, despite a life being on the line, despite the similar goals... Katsuya grit his teeth at the mention, pushing down on the anger that came with the thought. That damn smell from the table just had him raring for a fight. If this didn't finish soon... The blond swallowed, taking a deep and silent breath. Calm down...

 

Yugi had come to grips with what he'd done out there. He had... He didn't feel good about what he'd done out there, he wouldn't do it again. Looking at the table, almost looking for a sign that would reassure him of this, he watched as Yugi's expression of confusion and anger vanished from sight. A sudden look of realization, replaced with a smile. "Mai," the boy stated, the woman in question giving a small nod in response. The boy as well nodded, more out of respect than anything as he held his cards. "I'm glad I got to fight you," he began, drawing his next card. "This is where the real duel begins!" As Mai chuckled in response, Katsuya watched as his friend looked over his hand to make his play. So the 'real duel' started now huh...

 

Not a moment too soon, he thought with a swallow; Yugi was sitting with 300 lifepoints while Mai herself had remained untouched the entire time! Sure, he himself had been in similar spots but... Well the fact was, what were the chances of getting out of those situations multiple times in a row?

 

...Of course, this was Yugi he was talking about...

 

And the boy's confident smirk was once again in place as the card was set down on the field, proving that last thought in particular correct. Mai was tensing as wicked clawed hands appeared in the air, shadowed and severed wrists revealing withered skin and sinews attached to bones that were almost as blue as the skin itself. Hovering in mid air they waved, seemingly calming motions being made above their target's head, motions that far betrayed their clawed and malicious appearance. 'Brain Control'- That was what the card was. And for the next turn, the monster that Yugi would control with those hands was... "...Harpy's Pet Dragon!" The dragon snarled as the hands approached, each one beginning their mesmerizing dance around the beast. Gently, carefully they moved, but despite that the dragon still howled, managing to fight against the bonds of the mind control. It stumbled painfully over to the other side of the field, growling and roaring in anger despite the movements of the hands above it. Furious, miserable...

 

The dragon thrashed, the hands still attempting to continue in their calm approach to lead him away to their side of the field Across from it, the Harpy Lady was crossing her arms, pouting at the theft of her 'pet'; it obviously wasn't worried about a possible attack... And given that Mai was merely chuckling at the sight, he had a feeling he was about to find out way. "Sorry Yugi," the woman said with a smile, crossing her arms. "But the dragon is the Harpie's pet, their servant... Even brainwashed, it won't attack her!"

 

Yugi merely nodded, the smirk unchanging as the dragon stood in place on the opposite side of the field. "Oh I know," he stated, taking another card from his hand as the dragon continued to growl angrily. "I won't be attacking the Harpy though..." As his opponent frowned, the smirk was replaced by Yugi's 'normal' game expression, continuing. "It's still my turn," he stated, placing the card on the table as he grabbed a second. "I'll play this card face down... And I'll also play this! Catapult Turtle!" The card was placed on the table, quickly becoming ingrained with the board before glowing with its usual summoning light. From the card's image came the enormous mechanized being, mouth creaking open as it gave a motorized roar. A solid step forward was taken, forelegs leaving visible craters in the ground before the machine-powered catapult came to rest to prepare for an anticipated launch. "Get ready," Yugi shouted, the hands guiding a still growling dragon over to the catapult's lift. Harpy Lady grew pale at the sight, watching first in silence and then in well voiced rage as the 'Brain Control' hands grabbed the fighting beast and roughly tossed him onto the device with little mercy. The dragon was strapped to the catapult in an instant, giving a pained howl as the same hands guiding him began to push him against the device with as much force as possible. It would do no good if the beast moved during launch after all. The monster was 'called' for action. Attack mode, Yugi had said, Mai's eyes growing wide as her mirror wall trap shimmered in response to the phrase. Against the wall's shining 'glass', the entire boards expressions of horror could be seen, at least by those with faces. Harpy Lady's rage and horror filled cries, joined in by the Dragon's miserable howling... "And right on cue," Yugi continued, "The Mirror wall appears! Launch preparation complete," the boy shouted, the turtle below clicking in agreement. "Three," he called as the dragon's shouts hit the air at a raised pitch, "Two," he continued, Katsuya holding back a wince as the Harpy's screeches grew to an intense and reverberating note around the room. "One," The dragon struggled against his hold, the hands power beginning to wear off at its owners miserable shouts and fading from existence as the end of turn came ever closer. And now... "LIFT OFF!"

 

A resounding sound of a terrified roar came through the air as the catapult fired, the dragon's body breaking through the shield completely as the cries cut short. Shards of crystalline glass were embedded in the dragon's corpse, its mangled body hanging limply at the edge of the table. Blood wasn't even dropping from the body... It wasn't pumping through the shards that were stuck after all, no matter how mangled the shattered bones rendered it. Harpy Lady gave one final wail as she knelt by its motionless form, before turning to her master's opponent with rage filled eyes. Her pet was gone; all that remained as the dragon's corpse vanished was the chain that had been attached to its collar, the glass as well fading into nonexistence. But with the sounds of rage on the board came Yugi's response to Mai's own words of shock at the attack, and in the end it was a lot easier to focus on the players than the board. Better than ending up nauseous over something only he could see.

 

"Hnhnhnhnhn... That's right Mai," Yugi was saying with a smirk. "The force of the catapult can break through walls and fortified structures of any kind! But that wasn't my only plan..." As he trailed off, his opponent's attention moved down to the side at her lifepoint counter, followed by the squinting gaze of those at the side. Now what was it about Catapult turtle again, he thought to himself as he watched the counter drop down. Something about the monster's attack and... Oh yeah. "When you use Catapult Turtle," Yugi explained, the numbers still dropping. "And fire a monster... Half of that monster's attack points are taken from its owner's life points!" As Mai began to shout in protest Yugi merely continued, the smirk growing as her counter finally finished. "Half of twenty-three hundred... Which means you lose one thousand, one hundred fifty life points!" Holy shit... Katsuya stared, before grinning despite the still continuing screeches of anger coming from the Harpy Lady. That one move...

 

850 points... In one move Mai's points had come to 850! Alright! As Mai herself smirked herself- clearly impressed with the play as well- the teen jumped from his seat with a shout. "ALRIGHT! YEAH!" The shouts echoed around the room, soon joined in by Anzu from beside him.

 

"Go for it Yugi! You can still make a comeback!" The grin grew, and as he and Anzu sat back down their friend gave one curt and determined nod before going back to the duel. "This is great," Anzu said with a grin, glancing at Katsuya for a moment as she continued to grin. "He's completely lost his impatience from before... He's not doubting himself, he's actually into it!"

 

Katsuya's grin still remained in place, and he nodded as well. "Haha! 'Course he is," he said with a smirk, crossing his arms. "It'd take more than this t' bring 'm down... There's no way he'll lose!" Definitely not! The turn around had effectively happened right then... Even with that 'Shadow of the Eyes' card, and that mirror, he was still making headway again. One move... It only took one move!

 

As they both turned back to the field the 'noise' from the last attack had died down. Though clearly still grief-stricken with rage the Harpy's cries had quieted, the bird merely sending a piercing gaze toward the other end of the board. Mai was staring at her opponent's face down card, fingering her hand as Yugi narrowed his eyes from across her. ' _Attack me_ ,' he seemed to be saying, his eyes narrowing in the silent dare. ' _Go on... Do it!_ ' Even the Harpy Lady was shrinking back under the gaze. Halting in her original, flaunting strut to turn nervously to her master.

 

In the end Mai merely narrowed her eyes, appearing to glance quickly at the board before looking back up to study her opponent's expression. More silence... Finally she smirked, taking one of her cards. "Well," she decided, placing it on the board. "I won't attack this time... I can still hold the advantage if I do that after all..." She chuckled, shaking her head. "No sense in risking that card of yours!" While Yugi merely held his confident stare the woman continued to speak, her card already beginning to take effect on the field. "Instead, I'll play this... The Kaleidoscope!" Ohhhh fuck, the exact card that she couldn't attack after using to begin with. Shit. In a flurry of light and feathers the Harpy Lady's body began to pulse unnaturally, the kaleidoscope light filling the field before spiraling into a circle about her. Her reflected image divided, shifted... And as the light cleared there stood two others of her kind beside her, each just as scantily clad and armed as the other. As the three sisters screeched with the idea of vengeance, whips cracking threateningly across the ground, their owner grinned. One Harpy was easy to over power... But with three... "HAHAHAHA! Are you ready Yugi? On my next turn, you'll experience the Harem of Hell!" W-What...

 

He blinked, staring at the table a moment. H-Harem? ...Seriously? Katsuya groaned, slamming the back his head against the wall to the raised eyebrows of the woman beside him. "Oh god... An' here I thought it couldn't get worse..." If Yugi lost... He was so screwed over in the finals. Anzu snorted, shaking her head before their attention was drawn back to the board.

 

"Is that your turn?" Yugi was asking, almost hesitantly. The field went silent... And Mai nodded, her opponent's smirk reappearing in response. "Well then... I'm sorry Mai but," he said, flipping over his card. "I would have lost if you attacked me... You see," Yugi continued, "My face down card is 'Monster Recovery'." Monster Recovery... Shit what did that one do again? As Mai stared, eyes wide with apparent recognition for the card's ability the boy placed it back on the table and moved his hand toward his deck. "You missed your chance of winning," he stated 'matter-of-factually', his card appearing momentarily in the form of a glowing 'tablet' on the field. "I now activate 'Monster Recovery'; by returning my monsters to my deck, I can shuffle it and draw five new cards!" And since Yugi had next to no cards in his hand now... The cards were removed from the field, Catapult Turtle vanishing in a swift gust of wind and vanishing metal while the 'stone card' that appeared in 'Monster Recovery's stead ground itself to dust.

 

The deck was shuffled swiftly, almost impatiently before the new cards were drawn. As Yugi looked over his new hand however Mai merely smirked, watching as her opponent's expression fell short. "Hnhnhnhnhn... Worried?" she asked, arms crossed as Yugi merely continued to stare at his hand. "The Harpy Ladies' attack deals 2700 points of damage... And with the Shadow of the Eyes pheromone, any monster you put into play will be finished!" Ahhhhh crap... With those words Yugi grimaced, the hand holding his cards shaking for a slight moment. Mai's words were true after all...

 

But all the same! "Come on Yugi!" Anzu shouted from the side, cupping her hands. "You can't give up now! You've got a way out!"

 

Katsuya nodded, also cupping his hands to continue shouting. "Yeah Yugi! Hang in there! You can't just let those bondage monsters have their way with yah!" They were creepy enough as it was! Like that one tape he and Yugi had borrowed from his grandpa and...

 

Awww hell they were looking at him now! He swallowed, attempting to ignore the now extremely loud screeches of indigence aimed his way from the board, instead focusing on the ones playing it Their friend turned, a wide eyed stare sent their way in an instant before turning back to his cards. The boy clenched his jaw, pulling one of his cards from his hand and frowning for a moment before nodding to himself. "Mai," he called, the woman merely crossing her arms as Yugi placed it on the board. "I'll play the Mystical Elf, in defense mode!"

 

"It's over regardless," Mai stated calmly, moving her eyes to the board with a small smirk. As the monster was summoned into existence, the Harpies scowled, all three turning on the newcomer with narrowed eyes. "Shadow of the Eyes wi-" She froze, the same sight that had Katsuya grinning leaving the woman tense. The monster Yugi had played was female after all. And...

 

That was how these chemical things worked right? (Damn it, he was paying more attention in class after this!) Yugi smirked, arms crossed. "Hn! The 'Shadow of the Eyes' card was intended to 'aggravate' opposing monsters correct?" At the small silence he got in response, the smirk grew. "I thought I'd take the chance," he continued, the smirk growing with his opponent's frown, "That those same 'pheromones' created by the card would be less effective on the women as opposed to men!" The boy leaned back on his chair, before continuing. "My turn is over..."

 

"Alright!" Katsuya said, crossing his arms with a grin. "He's made it through this turn..." The grin quickly vanished however, and he swallowed as he realized what would happen next. "...I... I don' think Yugi has any more girl monsters though..." Anzu as well swallowed, her eyes not moving from the board while she nodded. "I think you're right... Even if he does, it's not many, he'd have to draw it his next turn... Mystical Elf won't last more than one round with the Harpies against her..." On the field the elf in question appeared to respond to this, turning to them both from her kneeling position with a calm smile. Her hands were folded before her in prayer, and though the Harpy Ladies were clearly sneering at her the elf merely bowed her head, uncaring of the shouts around her. Turning to them she merely shook her head... As if to say she was fine with what was awaiting her.

 

Across from Yugi, Mai was biting her lip, apparently not pleased that she'd missed her initial shot at a win. In the end however she appeared to get over it, merely shaking her head. "My you're tenacious," she muttered, drawing her card before smirking after a glance at the image. "But your struggles are going to have to come to an end with this turn," she continued, placing the card on the field and crossing her arms once more. "First," she stated, a large glowing green ankh appearing above her side of the field with the card's magic, "I'll use this card to bring back one monster... The Harpy's pet dragon!" The light burned into the ground, creating a burst of energy that blocked the side of the field from view. A menacing snarl was released, the ankh and light both vanishing in a roar of flames. Katsuya swallowed as the dragon appeared to grow slightly with its rebirth, the harpies cackling at their reborn pet; and given that it was powered by the number of harpies on the field, he wasn't surprised that Yugi was also grimacing slightly. "And now," Mai shouted after announcing this fact to her opponent, eyes narrowing. "For my next attack... Harpy Ladies," she cried, the three birds arranging themselves in a triangle formation in the air within moments. "TRIANGLE ECSTASY SPARK!" Ordinarily he would have smacked his head on the wall again but. Ignoring the once again obvious... Implications of the attack... (Don't think about it, don't think about it, don't think about it... At all.)

 

...The elf was still smiling with that attack. A calm and peaceful smile that lasted as long as there were muscles to hold it in place. Three orbs of acid green energy had been charged between the three Harpy Ladies, each held between their clawed hands and creating a large triangle as the attack stated. A beam gathered in the center of the triangle, growing larger and larger as its intended target closed her eyes... And finally the beam shot forward to strike the Mystic Elf head on. The elf merely held her hands forward in the blast as it struck, green light bathing the field and vanishing as it passed the border of the table. She merely sat there, without making a single sound, even when all that Katsuya could see in the light was her skeleton as it held against the blast for a brief moment... Before joining everything else in a pile of ash, as Mai had ironically said she was burnt to.

 

Gh... "Yugi!" he shouted, the boy merely staring at the board with wide eyes. Shit... This was it...

 

"Now," Mai was shouting as they stared, the side of Yugi's field once again completely clear. "It's your last turn... Get ready!" Last turn, last draw... He swallowed, leaning back against the wall and staring at the table. Everything relied on this one draw. As Yugi stared at his deck, likely with the same thing in mind, the woman across from him was bringing her arms to her lap.

 

"By the way," she said, her smile fading slightly. "Don't worry about the final match... I'll definitely win, regardless of what you or the others believe; I even have an idea of what to do with the prize money," she added offhand, glancing at Katsuya briefly before the blond could shout against the words. What... Hang on. Why was she looking at him when she said that? "Now then," the woman continued, before Yugi's shout interrupted her.

 

The card was placed on the table in the same instant of the shout, the boy's face set with determination. He'd drawn his card, having only stopped momentarily to let his opponent speak; and now... "Swords of Revealing Light!" Three golden blades for each monster appeared on the field, shooting downward from the sky to create a completely impenetrable barrier between sides. The blinding light filled the field, monsters caught within reeling back to cover their eyes.

 

"Hah...HAHA! YEAH! GO YUGI!" There was still a chance! This was the same card that turned his duel at Death-T around after all! It couldn't fail! As Yugi and Mai both continued to trade words, the grin grew. "He's still got a clean shot," he said, pumping his fist. "Yes!"

 

"Even so," Anzu said with a slight frown, Katsuya turning as she continued. "Mai's monsters are still pretty powerful... He's going to have to tread lightly here."

 

The blond shrugged, still grinning. "Ehhhh... Three turns Anzu," he said, the smile shifting into a smirk. "With Yugi, three turns is all it takes!" He turned back to the duel, grin widening as he stood to shout again. "YOU WIN THIS F'R EVERYONE YUG'!"

 

Anzu smiled, laughing as the loud cheer was responded to with a stern nod. The blond sat back down, and she shook her head. "Save your energy for your own duel alright..?"

 

"Hah!" Katsuya snorted, smirk fixed in place as he crossed his arms. "Like I'll run outta energy f'r somethin' like that!" The woman rolled her eyes, giving a mock sigh as they turned back to the board.

 

"Well," Mai was saying, giving her opponent an approving nod as the swords glowed softly. "Drawing the swords at the very end..." She shook her head, chuckling as she crossed her arms. "Three turns then Yugi! We'll just have to see if these swords are a light of hope, or merely the last sparks of your defense!" Leaning back against her chair as the boy looked over her hand, she waved her opponent on, still smiling. "Go on now... You don't have any monsters," she stated, crossing her arms once more. "Play one!"

 

Yugi nodded, taking one of his cards. "Of course," he said, placing the card on the table. "I'll play this, and end my turn." The card merged with the ground on contact, as did all the others before it; and upon its image misted the familiar small ball of fur from the fight against Seto, Kuriboh shaking itself before looking across the board with a small 'kurii' sound. Kuriboh? Wait- Katsuya blinked, remembering the effect it had used in its last fight; when destroyed in battle, no damage was given. Which meant that if Yugi came up with nothing in the next three turns, he'd still have at least one more!

 

...Poor Kuriboh...

 

Across from her opponent, Mai appeared to completely miss that ability, staring at the fuzz ball questioningly before holding back a humored grin. "What the," Mai was saying, stiffing a laugh. "What is this little... Gn... HAHAHHAA! AHAHA... Oh..." She held her head and as Kuriboh began to do what Katsuya could at best call 'mini-shadow boxing' in front of the swords, the woman shook. "Oh boy... Such a tiny little monster but he's getting all riled up with the Harpies' pheromones..." Her expression abruptly went more severe, the woman frowning as she stared her opponent down. "Yugi," she asked, her harpies currently staring down the Kuriboh with mixed glee and confusion. (Did he hear 'kawaii'? ...Nooo... That couldn't be it... Definitely not it... ) "Are you sure you want to play that? Once the swords are gone," she stated, still frowning as she looked across the board, "He's dead in one shot!"

 

The boy merely nodded again, crossing his arms and holding his 'standard' expression. "Out of the thousands of cards I could have chosen," he stated, Kuriboh briefly breaking from his 'boxing' to turn to his master with wide eyes, "I believed in this one. That's why I put it in my deck," he continued, still facing his opponent with a seemingly neutral frown. Kuriboh appeared to beam at the words, turning back to his 'shadow boxing' with renewed vigor while his master continued. "It's a piece of the puzzle... The puzzle to victory." For a moment, Mai merely stared at the boy with a frown, eyes narrowed. The puzzle to victory? Briefly she appeared to think about asking something.

 

In the end she merely shook her head, shaking it off. "Well," she finally said, shrugging. "I don't think I'll ever understand you really, putting a card this weak in your deck... But either way," the woman continued, reaching for her deck to draw her card. "We move on! I'll draw one card and end my turn," she stated, adding the card to her hand. There wasn't much else she could do after all, with the swords in play. "Two turns left," Mai reminded the boy, Katsuya merely watching as a few of the swords vanished from sight. The blades ground themselves into a fine gold powder that rose up into the air, vanishing from sight and leaving one of the Harpies room to stare at Kuriboh. "And when that happens, your loss will be guaranteed!"

 

Eyes narrowed, the boy merely reached for his next draw. "It's my turn," he said, giving no real reaction to the words other than that glare. "And I play this- the monster reborn!" The spell appeared on the card, a second ankh arising to the air to shine its light on the field. Green light bathed the field once more, and to the side of Kuriboh it began to take form. "Gaia the Fierce Knight," Yugi called, the light misting into a solid and moving figure before Katsuya's eyes. A horse began to whinny, a knight appearing on its saddle... The light began to clear, the ankh vanishing into nothingness. "Arise from your grave!" As the steed pawed at the ground Gaia gripped his weapons tightly, dual armed rider glaring at the Harpies as he and his horse both took their place in the middle of Yugi's field. It was obvious however, that it was not where he wanted to be for the moment. Gaia made no move to hide his rage for the creatures that had killed him prior, and for all it was, Katsuya couldn't blame the knight; though his horse remained in place, the man was clearly wanting nothing more than for the swords to move from between the battling sides so as to make room for his own twin lances. "Hnn," Mai was muttering, staring at the knight with evident suspicion. "Stronger than Kuriboh," she admitted, the puff ball bristling at the words, "But it's still not enough to face the dragon," she continued. "Your futile last stand ends in just one more turn Yugi..!" Oh really?

 

"Hah," Katsuya said with a grin, the woman turning with a raised eyebrow. Something he saw there... Not just on the board, but in his friend... "That's what you think Mai!" As the monsters on the board continued about their business the blond's grin widened, Katsuya continuing on. "Yugi's gotta plan," he said almost dangerously, arms crossed. "You can see it in his eyes..!"

 

Beside him Anzu nodded, a similar expression in place. Nothing wrong with turning the emotional tables after all! "That's right," she stated, appearing just as confident as Katsuya's and Yugi's both. "This move won't be it for him... Trust me!"

 

Mai merely ignored them both, shrugging as she turned her attention back to the board and her harpies both. "It's my turn," she called out, drawing her card. Looking at it the woman's expression brightened considerably, Mai even sending a wink across to a tensing Yugi. A wink? Shit that wasn't good... "Get ready," she said with a smirk, folding her hand before crossing her arms. "It's all or nothing, and it's your turn..." At those words Yugi had stiffened considerably, before staring at his deck in an almost spaced-out fashion. She was right on one thing, this was the last shot that Yugi had. With Gaia on the board, the Harpies' dragon could just attack him rather than bothering with Kuriboh- and with that, Yugi would lose. All or nothing for this...

 

The boy drew his card, and in the instant he looked at it his expression shifted. It was only a fraction of a second... His eyes widened, and with a neutral stare he made his play. "I'll play one card face down," he stated, before taking another monster from his hand to do the same. "Then I play Griffor... And end my turn!" Griffor! The bear-like monster misted into existence, thick gold shell appearing to protect the monster. Katsuya swallowed, watching as Mai stared at the board in confusion before chuckling. The last move had passed. If Yugi didn't make his final move he was screwed...

 

There had to be some reason why he'd done all that though, maybe the face down card... "Now Yugi," the woman called as the swords vanished into nothingness from the board. Instantly the sounds of monsters shouting at the other could be heard, the harpies screeching threateningly as their dragon growled at the monsters across, Griffor, Kuriboh, and Gaia's horse all sending their own threats back. Gold dust flew through the air, but though the shouts were deafening it wasn't so much that he couldn't hear the duelists themselves. "This is it," Mai shouted, drawing her card and preparing to make her play. "Show me what your three turns bought!"

 

"What I bought," Yugi repeated, smirking in response. On the board the monsters were sending constant glances to the blank stone 'tablet' that had appeared in the face down card's place, before turning back on the harpies with wicked grins to match. "I bought all the pieces to my puzzle... That's what I 'bought'," the boy stated, Mai and the crowd both tensing with the words. "I reveal my spell card," he shouted, Katsuya watching as an immense throne and crest appeared behind Gaia from the 'tablet'. The stone ground itself to dust, forming a 'stage' of sorts beneath Gaia and his horse while the knight looked upon his opponents with a deadly smirk. "The Black Luster Ritual!" As Mai tensed further, two altars appeared beneath Kuriboh and Griffor, the two monsters sending each other a glance before 'nodding' to themselves. The altars rose to almost the same height of the horse, all three of the beasts turning their attention back to their opponents. "Now," Yugi cried, the harpies below watching in confused silence as an odd energy began to seep from the altars and the crest both. "The Dark Ritual begins... I offer two monsters as a tribute," he continued, the altars bursting into flames and enveloping both monsters within. "One soul to the light," he began, Kuriboh going up in a bright white blaze, "One soul to the darkness..." Black sparks surrounded Griffor, the monsters both making no sounds as they vanished in the fire. The flames rose, smoke spiralling forward to create an enormous tunnel that rose to the air above Gaia and the field both. The Harpies continued to stare, as did the knight himself, Gaia lowering his head in wait as his master continued the ritual. "Between Light and Darkness," Yugi stated clearly, the vortex on the field spinning into a mix of dark violets and blinding golden light, "The gateway to Chaos is opened..! Now charge Gaia," he ordered, the knight's head jerking upward to face the tunnel. "Charge into the black pits of change and let it suffuse you! Be granted absolute power!"

 

Whether the words were over the top in the others eyes or not, Katsuya wasn't sure. The knight galloped through the tunnel, blinding light and shadows swirling around the knight as the horse vanished from sight completely. Leaping in the air from the back of his steed as it misted from existence in the shadows and light, Gaia changed... As he ran his armor darkened, thickening as his lances became a sword and a shield. His helmet lowered, hiding most of his face from view as his hair gathered into one long ponytail that came from the helmet just as his body itself changed in size- changed, into a different monster entirely. With one graceful move the knight kicked off from the end of the tunnel, landing on the ground as the crest, altars, and tunnel both vanished from sight. The knight looked forward, eyes hidden by the helmet but clearly cold given the sudden shiver from Mai's harpies. The ritual was over...

 

And where Gaia had once stood, the lady knight took his place. "BLACK LUSTER SOLDIER!" As his opponent continued to tense, Yugi faced the woman with a severe and merciless stare. "Now I'm ready," he stated loudly, the monsters on Mai's side of the field stepping back with wide eyes as Black Luster Soldier stood from her kneeling position to grip her sword. "CHAOS BLADE!" A single hit was all it took. The luster soldier might as well have not moved at all for the speed he used, charging the dragon before him and slicing its head clean from its shoulders within the span of a few seconds. A black blur was all the knight was, and for a brief moment the dragon stood stock still...

 

And then its head toppled to the ground, tongue lolling out of its limp mouth as its body twitched and jerked. Again the Harpies cries filled the air, all three screeching not of anger but fear as the knight who beheaded their large pet stared them down from Yugi's side once more. The pet dragon had taken a single step forward before collapsing to the ground, blood pooling around the severed neck from cleanly sliced veins as the heart beat just once more before stopping. "Whoa," Katsuya found himself muttering, half asking the monster on the field and half asking Yugi himself. The soldier had merely sheathed her blade, turning to stare at the Harpies from across the field with narrowed eyes as its future targets cried. "Where th' hell did that come from..." The harpies were panicking...

 

Loud and wailing cries filled the air as they gathered by their fallen pet's head, whips dropped to the ground. All three turned toward Mai from the dragon's corpse, tears running down their faces as they huddled together behind the dragon in a futile attempt to hide. ' _Kowai_ ', they screeched, Mai looking at her card for a moment before staring at the field with what looked to be a mix of grief and defeat both. They stared upward, not a single one turning away as they continued to scream. ' _Kowai_!' Strange... Katsuya frowned, watching as the woman's eyes shifted toward the locations that the Harpies huddled in, as opposed to that of the their cards positioning. The center of the board, where their dragon had fallen... At least two hand-lengths away from the edge, where the cards sat. It was strange... It was as if she could see-

 

Mai's hand was placed calmly on her deck, the crowd staring as she turned her gaze downward for a moment. No draw... It was just there, resting on the deck. The sign of defeat. "I don't want to see my harpies injured," she stated clearly after a few moments of silence from her harpies, her monsters looking up with grateful eyes. With a shot of light the monsters returned to the deck as opposed to misting out of existence, the dragon's body as well vanishing, along with their whips. Katsuya stared as the woman gathered her cards, placing them back on her deck. They hadn't even been taken from the field, the cards were still there and yet... A few moments later, the board cleared completely, monsters gone with no reason to fight any longer and Mai giving her opponent a sad smile. "I lose Yugi... Congratulations."

 

"...Mai," Yugi began, before also gathering his cards back together. "...Thank you." As the woman blinked, turning on the boy in surprise Yugi continued with a slight nod. "You made me realize what I was about to lose sight of," he stated, frowning as he stood. "What I can show, but cannot see..."

 

The woman stared, before smiling yet again with the renewal of the riddle. "Yugi," she stated, pocketing her deck and moving from the board. "You need to know... There's no such thing as an invincible duelist. Everyone has some weakness in their hearts, and everyone knows it," she continued matter-of-factually, briefly glancing to those at the side before going on. "They just try to cover it up... 'What you can show but cannot see,'" Mai said, turning to leave the room and walking out of the arena. "Everyone tries to put up a bold cover, a strong front but that in itself can be a weakness... Yugi," she said with a slight frown, turning back from where she was walking toward the door. "There are two ways of losing... There is the loss where everything truly comes to an end," she stated, hands held firmly at her sides, "And then there is the one which merely paves a step on the path to victory. I will become stronger from this loss," the woman continued with a nod, eyes narrowing with determination. "And I'll reach my dream... Just as you will reach yours, understand?" Yugi nodded, smirking as Mai continued off to leave yet again.

 

As the woman left the door, Yugi's last word could be heard. "Right," he said, standing up to pocket his deck once more. From the sides Anzu and Katsuya charged toward the arena, grins on their faces as their friend turned their way. 'T _he winner is Mutou Yugi_ ,' the announcer from the side had called, 'Crocketts' continuing on. ' _He advances to the final match!_ '

 

"ALRIGHT!" The two ran forward as Yugi stepped off the stage, Katsuya grinning widely. "Nice job man! We're half-way there!" Now he had to win his match, and they'd be set!

 

Anzu as well held a grin, hands again held at her side. "I was worried for a while there," she said, Yugi turning to her as the woman continued. "You seemed pretty tense..."

 

"We knew you could do it though," Katsuya added, hands in his pockets. "No matter what happened, we knew you'd pull through!"

 

The boy nodded in response, smiling. "Yeah," he said somewhat hesitantly, crossing his arms. "Barely though..." ...He had a point, that was literally a skin-of-the-teeth moment there. Before the others could answer to that, the sound of solitary clapping came from above. The group turned as Pegasus stood from his chair, the small applause eliciting a scowl from the crowd as opposed to the usual reaction of cheer.

 

"Congratulations Yugi-boy," the man said as he took his seat once more. His guards as well gave subtle nods in response, having also enjoyed the match it would seem. "Good work..! Now..." Pegasus sent a small look down to Crocketts, the man nodding as he stepped forward. "We will now hold the second duel of the semi-final match," the man called out, bringing a single hand forward to gesture to the stage. At those words Keith moved from the side, stretching slightly before moving forward with a smirk. "Will the duelists Howard Keith and Jonouchi Katsuya please step forward!"

 

The blond tensed as Yugi turned, the boy giving him a nod. Alright... He had to win this! "It's time," his friend stated, giving a small nod. "Good luck Jonouchi," he said calmly, moving back to take a seat at the side with Anzu. Time...

 

"Y-Yeah..." He swallowed, pulling out his deck and walking toward the arena. While he did this, Honda would still be looking around for Seto and Mokuba. Possibly with Bakura's help, though that was probably a long shot. "Here goes then..." Katsuya sighed, taking a deep breath before watching as Keith tossed his feet on the board and kicked back. "What th..." He stared, expression of nervousness quickly replaced with a dumbfounded rage. "OI," he shouted, narrowing his eyes and coming into the arena with a growl. "Get yer feet of th' table!"

 

"Hn?" The American blinked, arms crossed as he looked back at the teen only to roll his eyes. "Hah! A little baby like you, going to play with me?" A wheezing laugh came over the board, Keith's target narrowing his eyes further as he grew red. Baby? Just wait for it pal... "You really think that a kid like you can beat 'Bandit Keith'..?" Tch...

 

Nothing but dirty boots on the table and an attitude to match... He couldn't wait to see this guy's face when he lost! "I don' like seein' th' crap on anyone's boots," he growled, holding his anger in place for at least the moment. He said he would duel, and he would do just that... Nothing more, nothing more... His eyes narrowed even more, resembling little more than slits as he clenched his fists. "But yer about as good as th' dogshit you're puttin' on th' table!"

 

Keith merely laughed, fingering a single card in his hands. "Hahaha! Bottom of my boots ah?" More laughter, the man shaking his head before bringing his shades down to level a narrowed stare to his 'opponent'. "Well whatdya say then 'Joey', how about you lick it off and I'll forfeit the duel!" Gh! Alright, screw what he'd said before!

 

"Why you-"

 

"Bandit Keith," Yugi called from the side, arms crossed as he glared. Katsuya froze, turning as well for a moment to listen. "Get your feet off the table... That board is a Duelist's battlefield, not something for you to disgrace so calmly!"

 

While Yugi seethed however, Keith merely chuckled, much to the others distaste. "Heheheh... Sure it's a battlefield," he called, ignoring the reason why Yugi had called it such in the first place. "But does your pansy-ass friend here have the right to be called a duelist?" Again Katsuya tensed, turning back and gritting his teeth as Keith flipped his card around to reveal it as an 'Honor of the King's Right' card.

 

"Gh... What did you say..."

 

Keith smirked, placing his card on the table before moving his arms behind his head. "Remember that?" he asked sarcastically, adjusting his legs on the table. "It's the card you need to participate in the tournament..." The card, there were two damn it... "And I'm sure that you need this card to sit at the table too, right... 'Joey'?"

 

"Tch! My name ain't 'Joey' yah creep," he muttered as he dug into his pockets. Keith's harsh laughter continued to rasp around the room, Katsuya unbuttoning his other pockets to search those as well. "And I've got one of those cards too!" The exact same one actually, he thought with a frown. But really, if every real competitor had had one, he wasn't surprised that Keith had snatched one... Now where was it... He dug further into the jacket, frowning as nothing met his finger tips save dust and lint. What the.. "Oh fuck..." He ripped his jacket off, digging into the pockets fruitlessly as Anzu and Yugi both moved over from the side with frowns. "Sh-Shit! Where the hell is it!" Yugi and Anzu both watched as the blond continued to mangle the jacket, sharing glances for a short moment.

 

"You didn't lose the card did you," the taller of the two was saying, a frown on her face. Beside her, Yugi was nodding, apparently having thought the same thing. He swallowed, looking over at them with wide eyes. "No, I..." He winced, slamming his face into the jacket in his hands with a groan. "Damn it, I was positive it was in my jacket pocket!"

 

Still leaning on his chair, Keith howled with laughter before turning to the suit at the side. "Hey you," he shouted, grinning wickedly as Crocketts looked up from his watch. "No card... That means he can't duel right?" As the man nodded (' _That is correct..._ '), he continued to laugh, shaking his head before sending a leer toward Katsuya. "Well damn! Looks like you're about to be disqualified then... Heheheheheh..." The blond tensed, shaking his head as he brought the jacket down to his sides.

 

"Now hang on jus' a second! I know it's here somewhere!" He couldn't lose like this! He had to at least get as far as he could on his own ability, he couldn't just lose his card and...

 

The laughing continued, Keith tapping his head with the Honor card as he grabbed it from the table. "Well you're shit-outta-luck kid! This game is mine and I didn't do a damn thing! HAHAHA!" Awful confident about that fact, Bandit Keith... Why did he have a feeling he knew why he was outside his room now? Damn it...

 

"Jonouchi," Yugi called from the side, frowning as the blond turned to him. "Did you drop the card at all?" He stared, before nodding slowly. Dropped it. He didn't think so but...

 

"Maybe," he decided, frowning as he stared at the ground in thought for a moment. "I just threw th' jacket on th' floor las' night, so... Shit," he muttered, turning to the door. It must have fallen out when he did that... Which meant... "I must've left it in my room!" Katsuya bolted, pushing the doors open as he threw his jacket back on. "You guys stay here," he shouted, jamming his arms through the sleeves and turning back just a moment. "I'm gonna get my card, jus' hang on for a-"

 

"Five minutes," the man from the side said, Katsuya freezing in place. What... The blond turned, eyes wide as Crocketts held out a flat hand before tapping his watch. "In the event you cannot present the card in five minutes," he continued, expression unreadable behind the sunglasses, "You will be disqualified!"

 

Katsuya swallowed, before looking back at the door. Oh crap..! "Five min-" Anzu reeled on the guard, glaring. "That's not fair," she shouted, fists clenched as she voiced the same thoughts Katsuya had held for a moment. "He can't even get to his room and back in that amount of time!"

 

The man merely shook his head, hand back to his side. "Well unfortunately," he said with a frown, likely more for the ignorance to instructions than with pity, "Those are the rules. Five minutes, starting the moment you leave that door," the announcer stated yet again, Katsuya standing by the open door and swallowing. Shit... Shit... "That's all you have." Shit! He didn't have enough time to-

 

"Give him ten minutes," came a voice from above, Katsuya swallowing as he looked up at Pegasus yet again. What was this... Mercy, pity? A way to say 'even if you win you're screwed completely?' As the guard stared upward in confusion, Pegasus merely smirked, golden eye gleaming even from behind his hair. "Better to give our young duelist a fair chance after all, wouldn't you say~" Fair chance... Though the words and expression seemed to initially be filled with careless mirth, Katsuya felt himself grow cold with the stare. A voice... Somehow, in the back of his mind he could hear...

 

_'I know you have it..._ '

 

He snapped himself from his thoughts, the announcer's now re-established time of 'ten minutes' echoing through his head as he bolted from the room. Don't pay the voice any mind... The clock was ticking, he needed to move! Ten minutes. Ten minutes, and his room was on the other damn side of the building! Damn it... Katsuya grit his teeth, mentally recalling the route he and the others had taken to get there. Damn it! He bolted past the halls, vases of every flower known to man blurring beside him. Roses, daffodils, lillies, damn it stop paying attention to those he told himself with a snarl, paying the nearby vase of snapdragons no mind as he continued to run. Briefly he thought he saw a shadow on the side, but he ignored it. Just a shadow, probably nothing... Another moment more and he'd burst through the next hall door, coming to the five rooms that he and the others had used the night before. He couldn't stop... He'd come this far... He couldn't give up now!

 

The door to his room was thrown open, Katsuya searching the area in a complete frenzy. The blanket was ripped from the bed, sheets following after. The pillow and case were both searched, floor scoured as he crawled beneath the bed for even a hint of the card. Where... Where! Not on the bed... Not in the bed either, nor was it on the floor. The card wasn't anywhere in his deck, wasn't in the side table, wasn't in the bathroom, wasn't by the coat rack... Wide eyes looked over the room, the sight now reminiscent of what his old apartment looked like after his father had a late night. Tattered, shredded... And completely hopeless-

 

"No... No no NO! _AUGH_!" It wasn't here! Katsuya turned his eyes from the sight, panicked gaze moving back to where he'd come from. It wasn't there..! He ran from the room, racing to get back to the duel arena. He still had a time limit... He wasn't sure he'd make it but... The blond grit his teeth, wincing as he again passed vase after vase and dozens of portraits in a blur. There had to be a way... Some way to make it through, he... ...He... "Gh-hah... Hah... Hah..." Katsuya's pace slowed as he made his way back through the hall, hand on the wall just moments before collapsing to his knees. "Hah... D... Damn it," he muttered under his breath, hand still brushing against the side of the wall as he sat there. He'd come this far. He'd won those matches, and even if it was just luck... Just luck... Damn it! ' _Did you ever think_ ,' he recalled Honda saying, back in the crypt-caverns of Mei and Kyuu's labyrinth. ' _That since you came to this island you were wasting the rest of your life's luck?_ ' But that couldn't be it... Life wouldn't be that terrible, it wouldn't... "Damn it... Damn it!" The blond pounded a fist against the side of the wall, shaking as he bowed his head. The resounding thud was answered in silence, and his hand fell to the ground softly as tears followed after. "I'm sorry," he muttered under his breath, oblivious to the sound of soft footsteps behind him. "I'm sorry... Mokuba, Seto-chan... I couldn't-" He gripped his head, screaming as his eyes continued water. Hopeless. He'd come so far and now... "DAMN IT! Why... WHY!" Fingers dug into his head, clutching his hair tightly as he continued to rage to no one but himself. "How the hell could I be such an idiot! How could I... I..." Grip slackening his hands fell to the ground as his head followed in misery, before a voice came from behind.

 

"Stand up, Jonouchi." The blond tensed, head raising just slightly. Mai's familiar voice had sounded over the room, and given the lack of anything else she was probably just standing there. Silence... A few seconds of time passed, and again Mai shouted at him. "I said STAND UP! " He turned his head, gritting his teeth at the woman's seeming scowl. What was she doing here... Why... "Save your tears for if you lose the duel," she said with a growl, her target merely turning away in response.

 

"Gh..." Always... Ever since they got to this island. What the hell was with Mai and following them... "Don't look at me," he bit out, wiping his eyes and pulling himself up to his knees. He wasn't in the mood to be laughed at. Don't look at him... The woman behind him merely huffed, walking around to kneel down herself.

 

"Hmp," she snorted, ignoring the confused frown that Katsuya was giving and continuing. "If you don't want to be seen, don't collapse outside my bedroom!" Bedroom? Katsuya wiped his face again, still red and tearstained as Mai handed him something. "Here," she said quietly, the teen taking the handkerchief with a light frown as he sat up more. "Use this for your face alright..." What... He stood up, looking at the fabric before staring at Mai.

 

"This..." The blond held the folded handkerchief, looking at it a moment before turning back. "It's already..." Mai smiled, shaking her head with the same sad smile in place. This was...

 

Already wet... "Anzu told me about Mokuba," she said quietly, turning away from the blond. Yea... She'd told him that... Before he could say he already knew however, she continued on. "But that's not the only reason I want you to fight... She's very good with her disguise," the woman said with a light smirk, her eyes betraying the emotion far too much to fool Katsuya for the moment. She- Wait... "But I know a woman's face when I see one." What... As Katsuya frowned, looking to Mai with narrowed eyes, the woman went still on. "Jonouchi," she said, shouldering the bag and jacket she had grabbed from her room with a small sigh. "I might not know much about this 'Seto-chan' of yours," she began, Katsuya groing tense as he realized just who she was talking about. "But you shouldn't give up on your goals so easily..." He stared, eyes wide as the woman began to walk away in the opposite direction. 'Seto-chan'... She... She knew that she was a... How did she... "Those tears you shed for your friends," she asked, Katsuya staring in silence as the woman again stopped walking for a brief moment. "For 'Mokuba' and his sister... I hope it shines with the same light I saw on the field against Yugi." She knew. But how did she find out that... Katsuya frowned as he tightened his grip on the cloth in his hand, feeling something stiff along the side. There was something in this handkerchief. Something flat...

 

The blond looked back down at it, slowly unfolding the covers. Eyes narrowed, before widening again as the familiar image of a pile of gold on a card met his face. "Th' Honor of th' King's Right..." He turned back to Mai, eyes wide as the woman stopped in her tracks. "This is th' qualification card..."

 

Mai gave a sad shrug, turning her head back to face the teen. "I don't need it anymore," she stated plainly, shaking her head with a small smile. "And if I heard right, then you sister has a better use for that money than I do... I'll manage without, like I did before."

 

"Mai..." He stared, shaking his head. "You..." She knew about that as well? "Why did y' do this for me..."

 

She blinked, before shrugging yet again. "Why," she asked, before shaking her head. "Because we're friends, you moron!" Friends... The woman jerked her head down the hall, shaking her head once more as the smile grew. "Now get going," she shouted, adjusting her bag yet again as she moved back toward her room. "You have a duel to win, there's no time to talk!" As he stared for a few more moments with wide eyes, Mai again gestured down the hall. "Go on," she continued, Katsuya gripping the card tight in his hands with the handkerchief. Mai rolled her eyes, turning around "Run!" He tensed, before nodding. Right! Ten minutes ten minutes... "And Jonouchi," the woman shouted, Katsuya briefly pausing in his charge back through the hall. They stared a few moments, before Mai finally smirked and gave him a wink. "You better win, 'boy'..."

 

He nodded, turning again with the card gripped tightly in his hands. "I will!" he shouted, charging back down the hall as fast as possible. Friends... That was the reason. He had a second shot at this now, but he needed to get there on time. He needed to win! He steeled himself, bolting down the final stretch of the hall and throwing the doors open to walk in. _'Jonouchi,_ ' Yugi shouted, Anzu jumping from her place on the bench with a look of relief. At the side Keith was jerking from his chair while Crocketts stared at his watch. Briefly, his eyes flicked upwards, catching a small smirk on Pegasus' face... In the end he turned his attention back to his friends for a brief moment. ' _You made it!_ ' The blond said nothing, merely nodding as he made his way to the arena. He had to get this over with...

 

Win this duel and then face whatever happened after! "Here's th' card," he said loudly, holding it in the announcer's face as the man looked over his watch. The handkerchief was stuffed back in his pocket, and the card shimmered in the light just dully. "Y' satisfied now?"

 

The announcer nodded, swallowing as he stared at his watch. "Y-Yes... Of course," he muttered, bowing his head before gesturing back to the table. "...Th...That was ten minutes exactly, you're safe!" Again the blond nodded, turning his gaze on Keith.

 

"Good," he said bluntly, watching as Keith stared at him with wide and shocked eyes. Keith was otherwise not moving an inch... Bastard still had his feet on the table. "Hey!" the blond shouted, Keith flinching just slightly as the blond stood at the side of the board. "Get yer feet off th' table!" Keith glowered, reluctantly moving his feet to the side and brushing the dirt off his half of the field with a glare.

 

"Fucking little shit..." He snorted, pulling out his deck and slamming it on the table. Katsuya said nothing in response, merely ignoring the man. "Looks like we have to duel anyways... But here's a warning kid," he said with a crocodile's grin. "The moment you sit down, I'm going to show you a living hell!" His gaze still didn't change, the blond taking his seat at the table and placing his deck at the side. Living hell huh...

 

"Then I'll jus' have t' beat you in Hell, won't I," he bit out, before the announcer's voice from the side came over the air.

 

"The Second Semi-Final Match, Howard Keith VS Jonouchi Katsuya..." He raised his hand, the two opponents staring the other down before they heard the words needed to spark the first play. "Begin the duel!"

 

With a nod they did just that, each player drawing his hand. One, two, three... Five cards. "Here I go," Katsuya said with a frown, gathering his hand only to squint slightly at the cards. Each card... Each card's image had suddenly become somewhat different. He couldn't tell how though, what was it... Almost a glint in the monster's eyes...

 

"I get to go first," Keith shouted, pulling the blond from his thoughts. He frowned as the American slapped his first card on the board, Keith grinning madly as his card took effect. "Pendulum Machine, Defense mode! ...Get ready punk," he shouted, opponent blinking to hide back any surprise at the appearance of a small stone tablet on the board. Metal arms tore from the image revealed across it, pieces of rock rubble falling to the ground. The machine on the board gave a harsh grinding screech as gears clicked, an enormous axe swinging from its middle only to lodge itself into a deep gash on the board. "I'm playing a machine deck," the man continued, "And against the former U.S. Champion, you don't stand a chance!" Former eh? He smirked, despite the challenge that even 'former' posed for him.

 

"Hah! 'Former Champion'?" he repeated, drawing his card for his turn. Ignore the 'tablets'... It was probably nothing, hell, the spell cards showed up as tablets didn't they? "You're just some rock-bottom asshole who's fallen as low as he can possibly get..." Low enough to lock them all in a cave with next to no shot at getting out, enough to laugh at even the duel the night before... Cheers were coming from the side, lightening the mood he had just slightly. ' _Don't worry Jonouchi,_ ' Anzu was shouting loudly, Katsuya dully watching as the board appeared to gain a dark shadow over it as he listened. ' _You can do this! You're not an amateur anymore!_ ' Amateur... That's right...

 

He wasn't an amateur, and Keith wasn't a champion any more, just as the American himself had said! Watch him he thought, eyes narrowed as he looked over his hand. He was gonna beat Keith into a figurative pulp and then maybe get to the real version afterwards...

 

He'd win this battle with his own strength, no matter what!

 


	20. Mas Ex Machina

The table certainly looked different up close for the duel as opposed to from the side when he'd been watching Yugi and Mai face off. Maybe it was just him. Maybe it was the duel starting up, some sort of effect played out by the arena itself. Maybe it was Pegasus' creepy gold eye looking down on them from above or hell, even the machine that Keith summoned to the field, its black smoke seeping over the field ground. Who the hell knew; all he knew was that suddenly everything around the arena seemed a heck of a lot darker than it had outside, as though a curtain of tinted black had been pulled over the entire room.

 

Not that this was the strangest thing in play at the moment. Staring him down from the opposite end of the field was the 'living' 'Pendulum Machine', and regardless of what was at fault he found himself wondering about the 'living monsters' theory yet again. The machine stood with long, slim arms, bent at the elbows as its axe bit deep into the table. How it could do so without affecting 'reality', or without attracting the attention of anyone else he wasn't sure. He decided not to think much about that however, instead taking the first monster in his hand. Pendulum Machine was in defense mode. He had a monster that could beat it, but he needed to get to Keith's lifepoints as fast as possible...

 

"Here I go then," he said almost to himself. The blond gave a slight 'reassuring' nod, placing the card on the table and watching as a stone tablet appeared to hover above it momentarily. "My turn; I play Kung Fu Fighter Ultimator in defense mode!" From before the stone tablet misted his light footed warrior, armored fists slamming against each other as the man gave a rough grunt of enthusiasm for being the first summoned to the field. Enthusiasm quickly faded with the sight of Pendulum however, the man looking up at the machine across from him briefly before setting his head back down to the ground and taking a crouched position. Yeah... He mentally winced, ending his turn.

 

That would be about his reaction to being set up for a fall too. (Sorry...) Across from him Keith roared with laughter at the sight of the weak monster, drawing the card for his own turn. "Fuck! That card's not even worth beating!" Yeah yeha yeah shut up. This was the one that beat Kotsuzuka after all... It was worth something! "You have to be kidding me," the American said under his breath with a grin, before moving his monster into attack mode. "Pendulum Machine," he called, the monster below standing erect on its arms at the order. Keith's grin grew, and with a single point sent the monster forward. "Turn him into dog food!" With a whirring 'nod' from it's 'head' the machine moved forward into attack mode, Ultimator watching motionlessly with a nervous swallow. Closer.. Closer... The blade swung back and forth, a thick straight line moving from one end of the field to the other as it moved. Closer...

 

The sounds of grating metal and wood could be heard, the table going up into splinters and wood dust as sparks flew from the gears holding the axe in place. Closer... Abruptly, one of the arms snapped, grabbing Ultimator roughly to hold him in place. The man swallowed, pulled from his feet but otherwise holding silent in the face of the cold and emotionless machine's 'eyes'. He needed the monster in attack mode. The monster knew that was why he was there, and for that reason would accept what came. Watching as Pendulum stood erect on one leg and brought the axe forward, the blond shut his eyes. One quick shout of terror from Ultimator was all that could be heard before the swish of an axe and the sound of two halves of the a man's body coming to the ground met his ears. Blood spattered to the table, staining metal of Pendulum's axe with bits of organ and bone. The Ultimator's body was now sitting across the board in pieces, each bit melting away to join the smoke that his executioner left on the field. Pendulum Machine was returning to the other side of the board, taking its more erect position as it waited for its next order.

 

"Hurry the fuck up!" Keith shouted angrily, Katsuya opening his eyes and jumping slightly in response. "It's your turn!" He grit his teeth, a quick glance at the bottom at least telling him that Ultimator's corpse was thankfully long gone. Blood still dripped from Pendulum's axe but he paid it no mind, instead focusing on Keith himself.

 

"I know that!" he shouted, drawing his card. Now then. "I play Gilta, the Dark Knight!" Another tablet appeared on the field, the robed and armed spear-man coming into play with a calm glare before standing confidently before his opponent. "His 'soul spear' can kill you in one shot," the blond bragged, Gilta spinning his spear idly before holding it forward with a nod. Course, 'one shot' was really all the monsters could do when it came to fighting... Eh, whatever. "So get ready!" The tip of the staff glowed, and as Gilta pointed it forward the machine across the board waited for the inevitable, standing in the same position it had since the end of the last turn. The beam continued to charge... "SOUL SPEAR!" The ray of light shot forward, cutting a path through the field as it followed Pendulum's large crack in the board. Curving just slightly as it honed in on its target it flew, smoke clearing from its path as Gilta pulled his spear back to his side. The light struck dead on, hitting the joints of the axe and sending sparks flying across the field. But in the end... The monster continued to stand there. "What..." He tensed, watching as the magic merely washed over the machine to seep into the air around them, light fading away into the darkness as Gilta also stared at the monster incredulously. "The attack didn't work..?"

 

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Keith leaned back in his chair, grin still in place as he looked across the board. Laugh a little louder why wouldn't he... "My machine deck monsters are equipped with fullmetal, anti-magic armor," he shouted, Katsuya tensing as he continued. 'Anti-magic'? Aw hell, wasn't that just great... "Magic attacks won't do jack-shit against them punk!" Ffffff shit. That wasn't good. "Now it's my turn," Keith shouted, placing another card on the field. He'd already made his draw after all. The next tablet appeared, a large arachnid appearing on its surface before beginning to crumble. This time the tablet broke forth to reveal a large four legged metal spider, two massive missile launchers attached to its back. Multiple beady sensor eyes stared blankly across the board, the spider taking a single step to steady itself before becoming completely motionless. "Land-Based, Ironclad TM-1 Launcher Spider!" ...So. The launcher spider then? Katsuya had little time to think over specifics, the blond swallowing as the launchers on the spider's back rose slightly to aim toward Gilta. Hell, that looked like it would hurt. And given Gilta's own wince, the warrior knew it as well. "Take aim and kill him!" Keith ordered, a series of shots firing through the air. Multiple missiles fired from the launchers, each one rising in the air with a trail of white smoke before honing in on their target. Though Gilta did his best to hold them at bay with a make-shift shield, he could only do so much. In the resulting explosion nothing could be seen, and not a sound could be heard. White smoke and clouds of grew dust filled the air, clouding his side of the field from view. But even if he had been without the life point counter's steady beep or Keith's shouts, he already knew the result. "HAH!" his opponent shouted, adjusting his sunglasses as the grin on his face grew. "Gilta's long gone!" The man leaned back on his chair, Katsuya scowling as he kicked the blond's feet away from his legs. "Hehehehehe... You're no match for me you little fuck- learn that!"

 

Tch... He grit his teeth, looking over the field. How about he learn to shut the hell up. Shit though... 2200 attack on that spider. He'd already been put on the defensive then! "...My turn again," he said with a frown, ignoring the blank stares received from Keith's machines. Both Pendulum and Launcher Spider both remained motionless after the last attack, the only thing moving on the dust ridden field being Pendulum's slowly swinging axe. Sheesh. Talk about soulless...

 

...Don't think about souls...

 

Drawing a card he looked over his hand once again only to frown at the sight. Alright... Bad draw. Shit... None of his cards had enough attack points, at least not the ones who used a sword or an axe or anything like that. Even so he decided with a mental nod, adding the card to his hand. He at least had Kunai-with-chain here. Not to mention this particular trap... "Okay," he decided, taking the card and placing it on the board. "Here goes... I play one card face down," the blond announced, watching as a blank tablet appeared on the field in the card's stead. Sometime soon, he was going to figure out what the hell that was about. He really was. "And then," he continued, placing another on the board as he pushed the thought from mind, "I play Axe Raider in defense mode!" Axe Raider was quick to appear from his tablet, the man stepping out just as quick as the stone appeared on the board. Masked face looked down the field blankly, before with a shrug he swung his axe into the ground and took a seat. One quick look at the machines had been enough to tell him that nothing he did would defend him against them it seemed, but this apparently didn't bug the man. If anything, he was surprisingly relaxed about it.

 

"Psh..." Keith snorted from across the table, drawing his next card as it came to his turn. "That kind of card in your deck... How the hell did a moron like you make it here?" Grgg... Shut the hell up for once why wouldn't he... _'Those kind of cards',_ what the hell was he on? Keith continued to laugh, before taking one of the cards in his hand and placing it on the table. "I'll put a card face down too," he said with a smirk, taking another one. "And then... I'll play this in defense mode! Take that," he shouted, a large demonic monster appearing on the board with a snarl. Even crouched down the monster looked menacing, large leathery wings forming from his brow, lipless mouth gnashing its teeth at the empty board across from it. Fearsome and black claws sat at the end of each fingertip, and as it looked forward a loud and hissing growl came across the field. "The deadly Devil Zoa!" As the monster gave out a fearsome roar with its announced name Keith crossed his arms, leaning back on his chair and giving a dismissive nod. "I'm done," he shouted, shrugging his shoulders. Nothing else to do when the other monster was in defense apparently. "Your turn, brat!" Gh...

 

His jaw clenched at the comment, his Axe Raider merely snorting at the words. Well. At least he wasn't calling him a dog or anything. He swallowed, narrowing his eyes as he drew his next card. 1900 defense. It had high attack, but now that it was in defense mode he had a shot at at least getting rid of one of Keith's monsters. God that thing was muscly though... He looked over his hand, smirking before looking back over the table. Alright. Just the draw he needed for this! He could do this... He would do this! "I play Flame Swordsman!" he shouted, the tablet that appeared on the board releasing a flurry of flames as his monster stepped out. Flames continued to wrap around the tablet, before dying down to reveal a man garbed in orange armor and blue robes. The swordsman hoisted his blade on his shoulders, staring down the Devil Zoa with narrowed eyes before sharing a look with the Axe Raider at the side. "And then," Katsuya continued, taking another card and setting it on the field as he took his eyes away from the burned tablet on the field. "The spell card, Salamandra!" His swordsman's attack shot up as the second tablet appeared, image of the flaming serpent appearing on it's image. The dragon shot from the tablet, its former home grinding into a flaming dust that wrapped itself around the blade along with the dragon itself. Of course with this upgrade it would mean the Flame Swordsman would have to attack with magic- which meant a no go against the machines... But Zoa wasn't a machine, he thought with a smirk, giving a nod to his swordsman below. And even if he couldn't attack the machines, getting rid of Devil Zoa would still mean he could focus his efforts on the Spider! "Go Flame Swordsman," he shouted, the monster raising his blade as 'Salamandra' appeared from around it once more. "Attack Zoa!"

 

The flaming dragon shot from around the blade, Keith merely snickering across from him as the dragon charged toward Zoa. "Hehehe... Fucking idiot," he called out, moving to flip his card over on the field. What? "Trap Card activate!" Keith shouted, the tablet above it turning around to reveal the image of metal armor. "Metalmorph!" The card ground itself to dust, leaving nothing but a shining steel armor that rose high above the demon with a loud clang. "Zoa turns into metal," Keith was calling, Katsuya mentally wishing he could just shut the man up for a moment. He could see damn well what was going on on the board.

 

Perfectly well.

 

Zoa screamed as screws dug into its body, pieces of metal raining down from the pile above to replace its muscles. Large thick wings were replaced with steel spikes, legs and arms becoming nothing more than nuts and bolts. The roars continued, Zoa turning toward its master with narrowed and angered eyes before finally a helmet cut his shouts off. Locking around its skull the helm sat, and for just a moment the demon stood motionless there. Arms hung limply at its sides, armor gleaming in the florescent light of the room. Finally with the same uniform silence from before the beast crouched down, looking across the board with the same soulless stare of the machines beside it. And as the 'transformation' finished, Keith continued still on.

 

"Its attack and defense go up," he was saying, opponent merely swallowing at the sight. He figured. But. Shit... If he guessed right... The flames searing toward the demon recoiled from Zoa's now metal form, Katsuya biting his lip. Shit. 'Anti-Magic' armor!

 

That wasn't all though he realized, watching as the rebounded flames shot directly toward his monster. "Wait," he shouted, eyes wide as his swordsman found his own weapon turning against him. "It's sent back to my monsters too!" The other monsters' attacks didn't do that! What the hell was this about then? Keith merely chuckled, dark grin still in place as the Flame Swordsman continued to fight off the now rabid Salamandra.

 

"Hehehe... And that's not all," he said as the flames finally struck its original summoner, the monster quickly covered in by a blaze of fire. "The deflected magic strikes back with Metal-Zoa's attack points! HAHAHA!" As laughter came from Keith's side of the board, Flame Swordsman's tortured screams filled the air as well. Nothing much could be made out from the figure in the flames. Cloth burned away, as did chunks of skin before the person inside collapsed to the ground. _'Flame Swordsman is killed by his own attack_ ,' Keith was shouting, the swordsman's master in question biting his lip. The body remained there for only a moment, flames dying down to reveal a blackened, charred body that was beyond recognition. The smell of burning flesh hit his nostrils, and Katsuya swallowed back what little bit of soup he'd gotten the night before. Damn it... Damn it! "HAHAHAHA! You really are a fucking moron, aren't you ' Joey'?" he said with a grin. Stop calling him 'Joey' god damn it! "A top-notch, grade A dumbass!" Shut up!

 

Keith's laughter continued to fill the air as the corpse before him vanished into a pile of ash in the smoking field below, shouts from the side filling his ears as well. _'Jonouchi,'_ they were shouting, the rest fading out into the background. Damn it. Damn it! And it was still this asshole's turn too!

 

"Hehehe... Ain't this a shame," his opponent was saying as he drew his card. "You summon one of your more powerful pieces of shit and I get rid of it just like that! Hehehehehe..." God... Damned... Errgh... At least he still had his defense monster to hold off the sp- "I win kid!" he said loudly, Katsuya tensing with the words. What the hell? What did he mean, 'I win', he wasn't gone yet! Unless...

 

...There was that one card that he'd put in Kotsuzuka's deck, the one that...

 

"I know you're defending with that Axe Raider there," Keith 'explained', chuckling darkly as the blond across from him swallowed. Shit. Not that one not that one not... ...God damn it. "But what if I play... STOP DEFENSE!" AW _FUCK_ NO. Keith roared with laughter, the Axe Raider on the ground grabbing his axe from the side but otherwise not moving. Not quite an attack stance, but given how relaxed the warrior was getting to be about this... He wasn't too surprised when the man merely stood up and used his axe as a prop for his arm. Not much else he could do when Keith was shouting ' _Metal-Zoa strikes!_ ', and he only had a little over half the attack heading his way after all. Even so... "It's game over kid!" Not as though he didn't have something waiting. Metal-Zoa charged from its side of the field, regulated and mechanized gait taking it toward the center in just a few bounds- exactly the place he needed them.

 

Bullseye. Katsuya's face broke into a smirk, his Axe Raider crossing his arms rather smugly as the center of the field opened beneath MetalZoa's feet. ' _WHAT!_ ' his opponent was shouting, the blond merely flipping his card over as the 'blank tablet' he'd put up ground itself away. "Hehehe... Tadaaah," he called, holding the card up for Keith to see, ignoring the strangled crunch of metal as spikes skewered their target at the bottom of the hole. "Think again! You jus' fell into th' chasm of spikes!" The card was placed back on the table, sighs and shouts of relief coming from the side. Hehehe... He could lay a trap too after all. And with that move, Keith could say good-bye to a quarter of Zoa's points. Not to mention the monster! "Hey Keith!" he said with a grin, watching the American seethe across from him as his monster fell to pieces. In the bottom of the hole, Metalmorph's armor had clattered off of Zoa's body. Spikes pierced through to skewer the demon's flesh core at an odd angle, blood and oil pooling around the spikes and the bottom of the hole. Sparks cracked from the fractured metal joints, and as the hole filled in over top the beast he found himself oddly relieved. "Didn' I tell yah," he said as his smirk fell, the Axe Raider on the board once again leaning on his axe. "Yeh hit rock-bottom?" As Keith continued to growl from across him, Katsuya narrowed his eyes. Alright. Time to get back to the duel! "Next hole I put y' in," he said seriously, drawing a card now that it was again his turn, "Is goin' straight through yer heart... Now then," he continued, watching as Stop Defense ground itself to nothing. Looked like that was dealt with. He looked over his draw, smirking yet again as he added it to his hand. Heh... He had an idea! The smirk grew, Katsuya placing one of his other cards on the field. "Hehehe... First I'll play this face down," he shouted, before brushing a bit of hair from his eyes. "Bit of a warnin' here, 'Bandit Keith'... 'S another trap, so y' better watch out..."

 

Keith merely growled loudly in response, face growing red. "Little shit... What the hell is that supposed to be, some kind of fucking mind game!" Well, he thought as the smirk grew, dangerously close to a shark's grin by this point.

 

Something like that. "I'll put th' Axe Raider back in defense mode," Katsuya stated seriously, expression returning to its determined frown. The Axe Raider gave his master a wave before sitting back down in the meantime, axe once again rammed into the ground as he crossed his arms. And with the card he'd drawn... "Then I'll play this in attack mode; Beast Warrior Garoozis!" Again a tablet appeared on the board, rising up beside Axe Raider and glowing slightly as the reptilian monster slowly made its way out. Garoozis gave his axe a test swing, tail swishing in agitation as he looked across the board and growled. Fifty points more than Pendulum Machine... With a trap set up for when the Spider attempted to remedy that! Go! "Now!” he called, pointing Garoozis forward. Defense against magic? Try cold steel then! "Attack Pendulum Machine!"

 

With a single curt nod the monster tore off, rushing toward the enormous mechanism with a toothy grin. One steady swing of its axe and the monster struck, dodging the swinging blade of the Pendulum with ease. Grabbing the shaft of the device he hoisted himself up on top of the weapon, before tossing his axe high into the joints of the beast and jumping off as the machine gave a loud groan. Sparks flew from the device, Pendulum stumbling as its axe began to swing off kilter. Flames began to sprout from the center, Garoozis continuing to run. Louder and louder the grinding screeches of metal became. And louder. And louder... Before finally the middle began to seize up and-

 

- _BROOUM!_ -

 

An explosion that blew multiple bits of shrapnel to the ground occurred, flames roaring at Keith's side of the field and blowing Garoozis forward to the other side of the table. The monster ducked as he landed, Garoozis covering his head before slowly turning back in the aftermath of the clattering metal. Pendulum's body was collapsing on its two arms, silhouette melting into the orange and red flames as the other 'living' monsters stared. "YES!" Katsuya shouted, pumping his fist as his monster ran over and snatched his axe out from the scrap pile. "Take that!"

 

"Gh..." Katsuya's smirk dropped momentarily as his opponent continued to tense, low and likely serious voice coming over the board. The blond stared, watching momentarily as his monster returned to its place on the field before narrowing his eyes as Keith continued. "I'm going to kill you," he growled, face beet red as he reached for his deck. Somehow, the man's tone was all too chilling to ignore that time. "My turn," he roared, drawing a card and pointing his last monster forward. "Launcher Spider! Target Garoozis!" Missiles fired yet again as the spider did as commanded, each shell firing in the familiar jet of white smoke. Katsuya flipped his card over while the lizard man ran about in an attempt to avoid all the shots, Garoozis skillfully dodging each one. The field became grey with smoke and dust, the table riddled with craters wherever the smoke began to clear...

 

Though there wasn't much space that was clear, to tell the truth. Keith was staring at the board, a crazed grin on his face as the smoke continued to fill the board and seep into Katsuya's lungs. He could almost picture what he was thinking. But his own smirk had long since re-appeared after all, despite the difficulty this smoke screen posed for breathing. "Hehehe... Warned yah," he said with a shrug, watching as Garoozis continued to move through the smoke after grabbing what his trap card revealed. A non-existent wind was beginning to blow the dust clear, and as Keith looked at his card in horror Katsuya continued to grin. A single long chain was gripped in his fist, the same hand clutching a steel, razor sharp boomerang tightly. "You jus' activated my trap card!" Garoozis leaped above the Launcher spider, tossing the weapon he'd snatched from the now clear tablet with a crocodile's grin. Not a sound was released save that of buckling metal as the boomerang lodged itself in the spider's side, chain wrapping tightly around Launcher Spider's legs. Landing to the ground the chain was pulled taught, pulling the machine down as Garoozis ran toward it with his blade. " _GAROOZIS AXE CRUSH_!" the blond shouted, watching as his monster sliced cleanly through the spider's missile launchers only to flee yet again. There were still explosives in there after all, and as Garoozis skidded to a stop on the field a great and mushroom cloud explosion shattered through the air yet again, arms outstretched and weapons gripped tightly as he and the monster's melting metal frame both were highlighted in the flame. "And one more for th' junk heap," he shouted, opponent's lifepoints now passing below his own. He was in the lead... He was going to win this!

 

So why the hell was Keith grinning?

 

He narrowed his eyes, his smirk vanishing as the American's sunglasses fell down to the edge of his nose a moment. Wide and bloodshot eyes met his own, Katsuya swallowing under the gaze. "What th' hell are you grinnin' about," the blond bit out, voice kept low as his own monsters gave Keith a similar expression. Wide eyes, dilated pupils... Keith sure as heck wasn't drunk right now, but the hell if he was all there at the moment.

 

"Hehehehehe..." Laughing too... Katsuya continued to narrow his eyes, his opponent slowly looking back up from the board as he spoke. "Hehehe... Hey kid," he said roughly, face paling from it's flushed red as an insane grin grew across his face. "You ever risked your life before?" The blond tensed, frowning as his mouth hung slightly open in confusion. Risked his... What the hell was Keith going on abo- "I'm asking you," the man said, bringing up his empty hand and making a gun shooting motion against his head. 'Bang', he could almost hear as the figurative trigger was pulled, the blond continuing to tense under the crazed grin and stare from across the board. "Have you ever seen hell kid? Hehehehehehehe..." Alright. Why the hell did he have to get matched up against this creep? Seriously, why? He'd take Mai's 'harem of hell' over this any day damn it! "You don't care who you have to kill," the man was continuing with his rough cackle, "Just so long as you can save your own skin... That's what hell is," Keith muttered with a snort, the grin still in place as he brought his hand back down. "This Duelist Kingdom, it's the same thing... And there's only one way out of my hell," he shouted loudly, turning upward for a moment. "And it's right through Pegasus... Hehehehehe..." Katsuya followed his gaze only a moment, turning back as soon as he saw Pegasus' narrowed and small smirk. What kind of sick guy enjoyed this kind of speech serious- Oh wait. Pegasus. "I'll do anything to get there," Keith said with a grin, gripping his cards tight. "Anything to get outta hell..." To get out of hell huh... Katsuya swallowed, staring down his opponent with narrowed eyes.

 

Honestly, he'd like it better if Keith stayed wherever the hell _'Hell'_ was for now. "Hah! That case, I'll jus' have t' kick y' right back down into Hell, Keith!" Crossing his arms as his opponent continued to grin, he forced a small smirk on his own face. "Get ready..." He still had a plan... Kinda. For the moment he had the field advantage after all! His opponent merely snorted, drawing a card and looking at it before smirking.

 

"Hahaha! Whatever kid," he muttered, putting it in his hand to grab a different one. "My turn!" He placed a card on the field, a blank tablet appearing on the field just above it while the man grabbed a second one and continued. "I place one card face down... And attack with this!" A loud series of gunshots came through the air, and the stone tablet that appeared in its stead crumbled to pieces after three solid bullet holes appeared in its form. Rising up with two pistols for arms, an enormous metal dragon rose from the shattered rock, parrot-like beak clacking open and shut against the pistol that made up its nose and head. The barrels in its thighs spun quick enough to smoke, the monster giving a loud and ear-splitting roar as it crushed the tablet's remains beneath its feet. "Barrel Dragon!" Oh hell.

 

Wasn't sure how he knew the numbers when he couldn't see the damn cards but oh _hell_.

 

The damn thing had twenty-six hundred attack points. Katsuya swallowed as the monster turned its head blindly, apparently very much alive in contrast to the monsters before it. The dragon lashed about the barrel that made up its head spinning with a click while the safety on its main trigger cocked backward in preparation to fire. It couldn't see...

 

But it sure as hell could aim. "Hehehehehe... This... This is gonna be fun," Keith said with a wide and wicked grin, his opponent again swallowing in the the face of the deranged laughter. "Now I get to gamble... Let's see how I do huh!" Gamble! Again he swallowed, eyes widening slightly in confusion. What the hell was this to him? As the blond stared, his monsters currently eying the Barrel Dragon with cocked heads (Where the fuck was its face...), Keith merely continued to laugh and explain away his newest metal monster. "Barrel Dragon's got three revolvers," he started almost lazily, tone only held up by an insane 'pick up' tone. Or at least, three working revolvers... "One for its head," he began, the head pistol turning on its opponents with the words, "And two more for its shoulders... Each barrel has three bullets, meaning there's a 50-50 shot at firing!" Fifty-Fifty. Why would it bother with those chances... "When it attacks," the man continued, grin widening still further, "The cylinder spins!" Then... He frowned, putting the facts together in his head. Then... This was Russian Roulette! A slight chance of life for his monsters he'd grant with those rules, but all the same... "Here I go," Keith shouted, his opponent swallowing nervously. All the same, fifty-fifty... And even with all of his luck... "Barrel Dragon," its master commanded, the metal beast giving a grating roar as the barrels clicked round to the first hole. Safety triggers clicked off on all three guns, the monster's tail swishing and thumping against the ground hard enough to cause craters to appear. "Attack! RUSSIAN ROULETTE!" The barrels spun rapidly, the dragon clicking his mouth open and shut in anticipation. "If all three go my way," Keith was shouting as the dragon straightened itself, "I can kill three monsters at once! HAHAHAHA!" Three-

 

Which meant that if Keith made a triple shot he was dead! One for Garoozis, one for Axe Raider, one for... The barrels slowed.

 

Hit.

 

An echoing bang could be heard as the first shoulder fired, knocking Axe Raider's helmet to the ground swiftly. The raider's eyes merely hung open as he fell back under the force, staring endlessly upward as a small puddle of blood pooled at the back of his head. It wasn't a good death but though the corpse didn't vanish as the others had, it was better than being destroyed by the Launcher Spider before it he thought. The one on the left slowed next, Barrel Dragon roaring with a grin. Slower, slower...

 

...Miss. Not a sound came out as the barrel stopped, save an empty blank 'click', and for a moment Katsuya sighed in relief. Ok... Just one more and-

 

"Two out of three," Keith shouted with a grin, a second bang piercing the air as he laughed. Shit..! "GUN CANNON SHOT!" The bullet slammed through Garoozis' gut, the lizard stumbling to his knees as he clutched his middle. The monster had been taken completely off guard, and his axe and boomerang both clattered to the ground as blood trickled between the monster's fingers. Shit. Both his monsters were...

 

The lizard turned to look at him a moment, giving a weak smile in contrast to his former 'alligator grins'. Though no words came, he could almost imagine an apology... Suddenly with the same expression in place the monster toppled forward, body laying limp on the ground, and his life points fell again. From what Keith was saying now each of the bullets carried 2600 attack, but Garoozis' equipment had saved most of the points. Despite the lack of damage done however he found himself looking forward with narrowed eyes. Roulette and gambling... Cheh. If that was the way he wanted to do it..! The blond drew his next card, biting back a growl before taking one of the spells in his hand. Alright then!

 

As Keith put it, 'let's have some fun'! "I'll play this card," he bit out, stone tablet appearing in the card's place as a spiral came forth from it's front. small gears floated forward, followed by the large and wobbling eye-balls that allowed the small magician to see. "Time Wizard!" Ignoring Keith's brief look of surprise the blond narrowed his eyes, watching as the Time Wizard's clock body formed from the spiral of the tablet around the gears and eyes both. Time Wizard spun his staff between his fingers, looking forward with the closest thing he could call a frown. "A gamble f'r a gamble Keith," he said with a scowl, the Time Wizard 'nodding' in agreement. "I'm gonna use Time Roulette an' blow you away t' the end of time!" As his opponent's expression fell even further, the grin on his own face grew just as much. "Hehehe... If you're gonna use th' Barrel Dragon t' gamble," he began, the grin growing again to it's shark-like proportions, "Then why don't y' try yer luck with mine Keith? But first," he continued, taking the card he'd just drawn and placing it beside his Time Wizard's 'tablet', "I ain't done... I'm also playin' a monster card!" A second tablet appeared on the field, tiny clawed hands appearing from it and following with an equally small round and orange body. Wide eyes opened to the field, the dragon walking forward from the tablet and stumbling slightly before steadying itself. "Baby Dragon," he called with narrowed eyes, the monster in question looking around the board curiously. "Attack mode!" The dragon gave a small growl, before looking up at the blond briefly and giving a 'thumbs up'. ' _Rrrrnnnnrr..._ ' Huh. The blond blinked, watching as Baby Dragon turned back to face his opponent down. ...He wouldn't say it out loud but...

 

The dragon was actually pretty cute... (He was never saying that out loud.) Katsuya steeled himself, crossing his arms to continue with his play. This move would be all or nothing... If he won, the Baby Dragon would become 'Thousand Year Dragon', and there was no way he wouldn't not overpower Keith's Barrel Dragon then. But if he lost...

 

"Here I go," he shouted, ignoring Keith's smirk. Jerk was probably thinking about what would happen if he lost... Something he had a good chance of doing. Either way! He wouldn't let that happen! "TIME ROULETTE!" Time wizard raised his staff with a nod, the needle spinning rapidly from the force of the move. A single blur was all that could be seen on the wheel, Keith and Katsuya both watching and waiting to see what would happen. Come on... It continued to spin, flying past the crowns and skulls at top speed. Come on... The needle began to slow, the wizard's master and dragon partner both watching in silence as the wheel continued to spin. Everything was on this, come on... Slower. They could see the needle now... Slower... The needle slowly came to a stop, Katsuya swallowing as it came nearer and nearer to the end. Slower...

 

- _ting!_

 

Er... That sound was new. Whatever. It didn't matter; the needle had landed on the crown! "YES! It's a win! TIME MAGIC," he called out, watching as the small wizard's staff began to pulse with an odd and neon coloured glow. A spiral appeared in the center of the field, cracks and craters in the table beginning to fill slowly. The spiral grew larger, encompassing the entire field in its light as the magic did its work. "Time goes forwards hundreds of years," Katsuya stated, watching as the table repaired itself. The blood, the bones of his monsters, the scraps from Keith's own, they were all gone. Time moved forwards, the corpses long since rotting away... The Time Wizard as well was fading away as the magic took effect, his card grinding into dust as he went. He couldn't live over all that time after all... "All the monsters get older," he continued, eyes momentarily trained on the board.

 

His dragon was growing larger, muscles becoming more defined, horns growing longer and claws becoming razor sharp. A beard began to grow, and in its age the dragon came down to all fours. Wings shrunk and grew tattered, thick hide wrinkled and calloused. "And the Baby Dragon becomes the Thousand Dragon! As for your monsters," Katsuya added, grin becoming more of a smirk as the Barrel Dragon across from him began to creak and stumble in its movement. Patches of brown and red appeared on the beast's sides, Barrel Dragon halting all movement as it started to collapse. "They all rust up an turn int' scrap metal!" Cheers sounded from the side, but even so the blond's smirk faded when he pointed his dragon forward. Alright... Time to get rid of the dragon then! Get the duel over with... "Alright," he said with a frown, pointing his dragon forward with a nod. "Go get 'im! THOUSAND NOSE BREATH !" The dragon nodded, sending a blast of heated air toward his opponent with a low growl. Wind was all it took really. The Barrel Dragon creaked and groaned under the assault, barely able to move as it fell to pieces under its own weight. All gone... "Hehehe... Bye-bye, 'Barrel Dragon!"

 

Keith merely smirked, flipping over the card he had on the table. Ah hell, why did he have to... "That's what you think punk!" Rough laughter sounded around the room, Katsuya gritting his teeth as the man continued. "I activate my trap!" The stone tablet turned with Keith's words, rough image of its form appearing before it ground to dust. It wasn't long. But for a brief moment, he thought he saw- "Time Machine!" Time machine? The blond swallowed, watching as an enormous steel capsule appeared on Keith's side. Not large enough for a person obviously...

 

But sure as heck big enough for whatever was inside it. The metal steamed fiercely, as though having just left a furnace to enter a pool of ice, and wisps of white smoke flew off the sides to join the shadows around it. "Time machine," he found himself repeating, his Thousand Dragon following his gaze. The door was opening. An angry hiss came from the door, and with a loud an grating roar Katsuya found himself grow pale. Now way... "What... Th... The Barrel Dragon came back!" Watching as the monster came forward to step back on the board, time machine vanishing back into the dark mists around it he continued to pale, his own dragon drawing back as well. That wasn't all either. That was far from all!

 

It wasn't rusted anymore... "Hehehehehe!" The dragon stalked over on the board, sightless head looking about the field as it clacked its teeth together in wait. "Russian Roulette," Keith shouted with a smirk, the three barrels of his dragon spinning rapidly. Shit. Now that he was repaired, there was a two hundred point difference. The first shoulder stopped... Miss. Katsuya swallowed, turning his head to the next one. One down, two to-. The second shoulder stopped... Also a miss, and as the blond began to give a sigh of relief, he found himself jumping slightly at the third result. " _GUN CANNON SHOT_!"

 

Fuck.

 

A loud bang came through the air, Thousand Dragon momentarily tensing as the bullet caught him square between the eyes. Too fast to see. And since the dragon was already lying on the ground he could do nothing but sit there... "No limey little fantasy dragon is a match up for my guns," Keith said with a grin, his opponent swallowing as the dragon's relaxed pose appeared to become more tensed in its death. Two hundred points down. He looked back across the board, away from the corpse to look at the Barrel Dragon with narrowed eyes. Just what the hell did Time Machine do? As the American continued to speak, Katsuya frowned. Looked like he was getting his answer. "Hehehehe... When one of my monsters gets killed," the man began with a grin, "I can use this trap card to bring it back from a turn before... The rusted Barrel Dragon becomes nothing but a decoy," he continued, grin widening to what Katsuya thought an impossible width. "And the original comes back to kick the thousand dragon's pasty yellow ass! HAHAHAHA!" Fuck...

 

Fuck! ...He was sweating. Katsuya opted not to wipe the beads on his face away, instead swallowing as he stared at the board. This was just great wasn't it. His entire move had been made for nothing... Time Wizard and Thousand Dragon both, their actions literally undermined just for one turn. And all there was to show for it was the corpse of his dragon on the field...

 

"Hehehe... I memorized your so-called deck back when you were fighting Kotsuzuka," Keith said with a snort, his opponent growling in response. Oh of course he did, what else did he have the time to do after all? "You're such an amateur, you don't even have a strategy! You know how pathetic that is! Read my lips fucker," he said lowly, Katsuya narrowing his eyes as he gripped the side of the table. "Your deck... Doesn't stand a chance against my machine deck... Now come on," he continued, leaning back on his chair. "Play another monster! I'm just itching for something to kill..." Gh... God this guy was... Augh. The blond drew a card, gritting his teeth and wincing as he looked it over. Nothing...

 

Damn it. "I play Kojikocy in defense mode," he said quietly, placing the card on the board and watching as the aged barbarian made his way from his tablet. Kojikocy knelt in the same position he had appeared in, sword held at his side as he gave the Barrel Dragon an odd look. And as for the results...

 

"EAT LEAD," Keith shouted with a cackle, the steady pattern of 'miss miss hit' again appearing on the board. Damn it! What the hell were the chances that that exact combo would happen? The bang echoed through the air, bullet flying from the dragon's head. Kojikocy clutched his chest as his lung was pierced, breathing raggedly before collapsing to the ground along side the Thousand Dragon. He was still breathing, for just a while... Rough, haggard breaths accompanied by bloodied coughs. Finally... There was silence, at least from the monster. "And it's not over yet," Keith was shouting, grabbing another card from his hand. Of course it wasn't, why the hell wouldn't it be over for once? "I'm playing another monster in defense mode... Slot Machine!" Another gambling monster? Katsuya stared across the board as another tablet appeared, a second 'living' machine smashing its way through. Horse-like legs trampled forward on the ground, crushing whatever remains of the tablet sat on the board. With its small arm it gripped a lever on the side of its body, upon which three windows bearing question marks sat in place. A single, tiny head spun about at the top, sole LED eye taking in the board with evident curiosity.

 

"Gh..." Another card. Katsuya made his draw, placing it on the ground with a wince after looking it over. "Tiger Axe," he said, watching as yet another tablet appeared on the board. The furred warrior appeared from his tablet to look up with determined and seemingly honouring eyes, axe held at the ready whilst he turned back toward the opponent. "Defense mode..." And again the roulette began. Right shoulder... 'Miss'. Left shoulder... 'Miss'. And for the one in the center... 'Hit'. The familiar sound of a gunshot pierced the air, and as it struck the Tiger Axe's throat he had to shut his eyes for a moment. Gurgling cries met his ears as the warrior fell to the ground clutching his neck.

 

"Speechless?" Keith was shouting with a laugh, mad and wheezing laugh surrounding the arena. Speechless... Don't say that when there was a monster bleeding out his neck on the table... "You wanna surrender," the man continued, answered with silence. Tiger Axe's choking sounds had finally stopped. Three corpses on the ground now. "Well fuck you kid!" Keith continued with a grin, his own monsters clicking and whirring in a sound that almost resembled laughter. As the blond set yet another defense monster Keith continued to laugh, pointing the dragon forward and managing to yet again earn himself a 'miss miss hit' cycle. Armored Lizard was down one eye and lying limp on the ground within the few seconds he had appeared, and across from him Keith was still talking. "I'll let you die when I'm good and ready!" Tgh...

 

Katsuya grit his teeth, listening as more shouts filled the air from the side. ' _Jonouchi,_ ' they were shouting, Anzu and Yugi's shouts both fading into the background as the blond stared at the table. ' _Jonouchi!_ ' There were now four corpses littering the ground, the side of his field almost filled. It was weird... Against Kotsuzuka, the bodies had been pulled under the arena, sinking into brown mire to join with the graves below. In the labyrinth, they vanished from existence through the attack, either rusting and crumbling on itself or simply fading away. But here, they'd both stayed and gone... Before the Barrel Dragon made his appearance, the monsters had simply 'misted' from existence. Corpses vanishing into the smoke filled field. After however, each monster it'd gunned down remained on the field, collapsed and motionless on the ground with an eternal blank stare. Just...

 

There. He narrowed his eyes, a merciless glare sent toward Keith as his next monster was gunned down yet again. Battle Steer collapsed to the ground the moment the bullet struck, a single glaring hole in the center of his chest. Five corpses now. He didn't get what all this meant. Wasn't sure he wanted to but... Like hell he was losing here. Sounds had dulled completely. He could care less what Keith was doing, though if the motionless and 'dead' metal monster across the board was any sign the American summoned another shield. ' _Space Megatron,_ ' Keith had shouted, the sphere hovering before its crumbled tablet in silence. Tch.

 

It wasn't over. He still had one monster, just one monster... The blond looked back to the cards he held, swallowing. Red Eyes Black Dragon was in his hand now, but there was one card that could power him up enough to get rid of the machines on the field. It was his only chance. If he could just draw that card!

 

The turn was his again.

 

Katsuya looked over at the deck, silently making his draw and looking at it for a moment before mentally nodding. Alright... He'd gotten it! He didn't want to know what it would do to him but... He'd gotten it. "I play one card face down on the board," he announced, ignoring any reactions he got fro the moment. The tablet appeared, blank visage meeting the field... But he wasn't done just yet. "And I also play the Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" he called, placing the card on the table. One shot. This was his only shot. He'd just have to hope that Zoa's reaction wouldn't be mirrored by-

 

Hang on... Where was the tablet? He tensed, frowning briefly. Nothing was on the field, nothing but the corpses. Suddenly however the blond froze, eyes widening for just a moment as a sudden snort came by his ear. ' _Grrrnnnnn...'_ A low growl sounded, and, slowly looking through the corner of his eye Katsuya tensed even more. Holy shit... Deep red eyes met his, even as his gaze turned back to the field. This wasn't happening. ' _Grnnnnnn..._ ' Warm black scales rubbed against his arm, a towering black dragon's clawed arms coming to rest at either side of him on the table. Each arm pressed almost firmly at his sides, holding him in the chair as the enormous dragon came to rest. This wasn't happening, the board was one thing, the 'Duel Disk' was another thing, but this...

 

Red Eyes gave a low growl, twisting it's neck to look his master in the eye before facing the field, mouth hanging just slightly open as deep steady breaths came from the side. How the hell was this... How the hell was this possible... He swallowed, steeling himself as he followed the dragon's gaze toward the opponent. Damn it...

 

This would just make him feel even worse about he was going to do!

 

Katsuya swallowed, turning his gaze directly toward the weakest of Keith's defense mode monsters. "Red-Eyes!" he shouted, the dragon giving a curt nod. Eyes that glowed with a deep red flame were looking at him now... If he looked close, he could see a slit and reptilian pupil in them... Damn it. Stop looking at him! "Attack Space Megatron; Black Fire Bullet!" The dragon beside him opened his mouth wide, charging a blast of flames that licked the sides of his maw and threatened to burn the corpses below it. A few seconds was all it took, before the flames were blasting toward the other end of the table. 'Space Megatron' vanished into the flames completely, and by the time they died down... There was nothing left. "Turn over!"

 

Keith smirked, chuckling lowly as his opponent and Red-Eyes both glared at him. "So at last," he said with a laugh, arms crossed. Laugh at his dragon why wouldn't he... Bastard. "Your strongest monster..." The harsh chuckle continued through the air, Katsuya thinking to his strategy and sending a small look to his dragon. This move... He didn't want to hear Red-Eyes' screams like what Zoa had done, but if he didn't... "Hah! It's no match for the 40mm slugs in Barrel Dragon!" Those things were forty millimeters..? ...Huh. "Okay then!" Keith shouted grin growing yet again as his opponent sent another look at his monster. This was it... All or nothing. "If that's what you want, I'll make it a clean shot! This is the end," he roared, Barrel Dragon's roulette spiralling through it's usual pattern of shots yet again. The right shoulder was a miss. So was the left shoulder. The center however... "Barrel Dragon! Kill Red-Eyes!" Damn. The bang came through the air...

 

The bullet shot forward almost in slow motion, Red-Eyes moving its head around and giving a single look to Katsuya. ' _Do it,_ ' it seemed to say, a low and muttering growl coming under its breath. ' _Do it..._ ' Somehow as he reached for the card, he just knew that it wouldn't be like Keith's 'Metal-Zoa'. Taking the dragon's look as an 'approval' he nodded, flipping over his card with a wicked grin. "Heh... I've been waitin' f'r this," he shouted, flipping the card over as Keith froze. Nothing holding him back now. Hehehehehe... "Check out my face down card!" The tablet on the field spun, and as it ground to dust the familiar faceless wizard on the tablet appeared on the field. "Copy cat! I'm gonna copy one of your cards," he continued, the mirror-faced mage waving down the field before batting away the fired bullet with the same hand. Copy cat's multicoloured form began to shift, misting out of existence as the blond's grin grew dangerously menacing. Large metal armor now hovered above his dragon... Time to give Keith a taste of his own 'medicine'. "And I choose Metalmorph," he shouted, Red Eyes giving a loud roar as his scales shimmered in the odd light surrounding them. "Givin' Red Eyes his own boost 'f power!"

 

He wasn't hearing the same screams that Zoa had given when Keith played this card. The metal merely came down from above and wrapped around the dragon as a well fitted armor should have, accenting already fearsome scales and claws with black steel. Red-Eyes, though now completely covered by the same metal that had formerly adorned MetalZoa now was merely staring down their opponent with a low growl, and looking at Katsuya with what could almost be called a grin. The blond looked to his dragon for a moment, sharing the expression before turning back on Keith and crossing his arms.

 

"Hehehe... Say hello t' Red-Eyes Black Metal Dragon, Keith! An' now that it's my turn," he shouted, Red-Eyes already charging a thick blast of black-red flames in its mouth. The blaze grew larger and larger, sparks catching the side of the corpses on the board as he continued. "Red Eyes attacks! DARK MEGA FLARE !" The flames completely surrounded the board as the dragon fired, Barrel Dragon's harsh rasping cries drowned out by the roar of flames as its body melted and sparked. Even surrounded by the flames he could see the beast thrashing, limbs having each detonated in the flammable, black-powder reaction. "Barrel Dragon dies," Katsuya shouted, eyes narrowed as a determined frown returned on his face. Red-Eyes had pulled its head back, giving the blond a clear view of the field. Keith was looking toward him with an expression of complete horror now, and cheers were again coming from the side as the remaining corpses on the board vanished into ashes. "You can f'rget about makin' it outta Hell, Keith," he said lowly, eyes narrowing further as the man continued to pale. "Cause th' fact is, th' devil doesn't get that kind 'f a chance..."

 

The tables were once again turned! As Keith grumbled something about the last move, Katsuya found himself looking back toward the others. Anzu was still shouting loud cheers. Yugi didn't seem to be saying anything however, instead giving a nod. He could almost hear him... The silent cheer that 'this Yugi' gave during each battle. He could win this. Be it by luck, by some miracle, or by his own skill, he could win this... Definitely! And by doing that he thought with a nod of his own, turning back to the board, they'd be in the clear.

 

...Mostly. Keith was laughing again, an alligator's grin once more in place. "Heh! Enjoy your luck while you still can," he spat, light from whatever flames remained creating a glare on the man's sunglasses. “I still have a winning strategy... And I'll show you that there's no way for an amateur dumbass like you to beat a pro!" Tch! As more of Keith's wheezing laughter filled the air, Katsuya spared a glance to the dragon at his side. Red-Eyes was currently seated in an almost laid down position, the armor on his neck leaving little room to simply bend it around to look at his master. For the moment however, it was merely growling at his opponent's final monster, eyes narrowed at the Slot Machine.

 

"Hn! You're right," he said with a frown, crossing his arms. "I don't have any particular strategy, and I'm just some amateur who started playing a few months ago... But lemme ask y'," he said, leaning forward just slightly in his seat. "If I'm such a dumbass who can't find his way around a deck, then why are your lifepoints th' ones decreasing right now?"

 

"Tch... You idiot," Keith growled, absently rubbing the shoulder he'd dislocated the night before. Heh. Did it still hurt then? "It's skill that'll determine the winner of this duel!" Hear hear for once... Though while Keith obviously had some skill, there was no way he'd be beaten by it! "Now shut the fuck up!" the American roared, drawing a card. Angry maybe? "It's my turn!" A mere glance was spared at it, before it was placed on the table. Wow, did Keith even look at that card... Like he knew it was there, holy crap. "I play another face down card," he called, adjusting his sunglasses yet again with a grin. "And Slot Machine stays in defense mode... That's the end of my turn!" Ah. Probably nothing...

 

Hnn... Alright then! Katsuya looked across to the Slot Machine as a blank stone tablet appeared on Keith's field, mentally nodding. Time to clear the field then. "It's my turn," he shouted, drawing another card. Looking at it for a moment he set it down, a second plan coming to mind as the blank tablet appeared on the field. "I'll play one face down card too, and then attack the Slot Machine!" Again black flames appeared from his side, the heat almost blistering his skin. Nonetheless it was something he could tolerate for the moment. Red-Eyes' attack had only one target in mind as the flames grew hotter, mouth growing wider in an attempt to control the attack. And... Now! " _DARK MEGA FLARE!_ " The burst of flames washed over Slot Machine, obscuring the device from view as it raise its cannon arm in an attempt to protect itself. Though he could see the silhouette of the monster briefly, the fires quickly illuminated the field beyond anything the shadow of the monster could survive. Couldn't see it... He couldn't see it going down... Did he beat it? He knew the attack was better than the defense this time around but...

 

"Hehehehe... Close brat, but no cigar!" Damn. That was a no then. Keith grinned wickedly as he flipped his recently placed trap over, the tablet on the field spinning forward as the flames around Slot Machine died down. "I'm gonna use this face-down card..." Slot Machine pulled on the lever at his side, slots in the center blurring and spinning before it clacked into place. Seven..? "Complete Seven," the American continued to shout with a laugh, the tablet behind it continuing to hover in place. "An interchangeable power unit that increases the Slot Machine's defense by 700 points! Making it a total of 3000..." Awwwww, shit! "And with that kind of power, your fucking dragon can't even scratch it!"

 

"Guh..." The flames bounced back from against the Slot Machine, roaring back against himself and the dragon both. Katsuya grit his teeth as a few flames singed his face, holding his place against the slight onslaught. Wonder what would happen if one of these attacks hit him directly... ...Hihhhh don't think about that. "Th' attack bounced back..."

 

His lifepoints dropped another two hundred points, and from the side he could hear worried shouts. Damn it. He hadn't expected something like that! All the same, if that was what one '7' did... He swallowed, both he and Red-Eyes looking across to the now steaming Slot Machine with narrowed eyes. What would three, a 'jackpot' do? It only increased defense though right? He could find a way around that, hell, he had Sword and Shield in hand so if he used that while the thing was in defense mode... "Hehehehe... And y' know what kid," the American said with a grin, Katsuya frowning as the man rubbed his shoulder yet again. "I've got another 'Complete Seven' in my hand!" You could play as many spells as you wanted in one move! Katsuya tensed, and as the card's 'tablet' appeared on the board the Slot Machine pulled down his lever again. The number on the far left spun and blurred, steady 'cling' noises filling the air before it halted with a second number seven. It was coloured differently... So it wasn't a match then right? "And you know what's even better," he added with a grin, "This one adds 700 attack points!" What! The blond swallowed as his opponent continued laughing, watching as the Slot Machine gave what could only be called 'snort'. They could do both! Was he going to up the attack power again with the third seven then? Shit, what would that bring the numbers to... "I'm playing another card too," Keith shouted, slapping yet another card on the table. Damn it stop adding crap! "Blast Sphere!" The tablet that appeared on the field was the first to survive its monster's appearance, a single four-legged 'ball' shooting from it toward him. Red-Eyes instantly blocked the strike with his neck, only to give a confused growl as the four legs locked around it tightly with a clack.

 

"W-What..." He narrowed his eyes as Red-Eyes gave a nervous tap to the orb with one claw, only for it to give an angry beep and shudder in response. ' _Grrnn! Rnnnn... '_ Yeah. He was confused too Red-Eyes. Either way this was a problem. It was one hundred points more powerful than the dragon... But what the hell was it, if it had just latched on like this? "It's attached to th' dragon's body..?"

 

Again his opponent laughed, grin wide and chilling. "That's a time bomb kid... Set to explode in one turn!" W-w-what... Bomb! This thing was a bomb! "Hehehehehe... In other words," he said with a laugh, a small red light appearing on the 'Blast Sphere's form, "Unless you can do something about it now, your Red-Eyes is history!" In other words, there was a bomb right beside him! Katsuya looked at his dragon for a moment, the beast giving a low and annoyed growl as the sphere around its neck began to beep slowly. Shit. This thing went off Red-Eyes was...

 

The blond looked at his deck, gritting his teeth. And not just Red-Eyes he bet. His cheek stung way too painfully for the fires from the last attack to have done nothing. One shot... He'd have to put all his faith in this card. He drew from his deck, looking over it as the beeping began to pick up.

 

Beep...

 

Beep...

 

Beep..

 

Beep..

 

Dragon Nails. His eyes widened briefly, and beside him the pace on the bomb was picking up. Beep. Beep.

 

Beep _BeepBeepBeep-_

 

This would do it! The card was slapped on the table and activated, just as a single sound came from beside him.

 

_**-Beep-** _

 

"Times up!" his opponent shouted, Katsuya wincing and closing his eyes as the explosion went off beside him. He'd seen the legs snap off, Red-Eyes having clawed at the bomb in the last moments. Nothing but a white veil of smoke around the side of the field now. Come on... come on. Smoke filled the field as Keith continued to laugh, before the chuckling abruptly cut off. Red-eyes shook off the soot and scraps of the Blast Sphere, small attack upgrade having proven just enough to keep it safe.

 

"Phew," he said with a sigh, rubbing his head. Sounds of crackling flames from the explosion were ringing in his ear, and honestly he was surprised the bomb had been dealt with before it literally went up in his face. Damn... "That was close... Good thing I drew this," he continued with a smirk, holding up the 'Dragon Nails' card as Red-Eyes flexed his claws beside him. The tablet below had ground away to nothing, and the act had been just enough to buy some time against the bomb. "Brings Red-Eye's attack up six hundred points... More th'n enough t' d'fend against that bomb 'f yours..." And the best part was the shrapnel from the blast had found their way over to Keith's side of the field, the power from the attack rebounding on its owner. Obviously no physical damage there, but... Heh. Now his life points had taken a decent hit too! Four hundred left. Just one more attack and-

 

"You little rat..." The American rubbed his wrists, red in the face as he moved to draw his card. The smoke from the last explosion continued to block portions of the field, and as Katsuya tensed, the man before him suddenly grinning wickedly as he held a card out through the smog. He couldn't really see what it was, but... "Well look what I have here," he shouted almost hysterically, opponent tensing in response. "Another Complete Seven card, ready to equip to my Slot Machine!" He continued to grin, the tablet that appeared on the field already grinding away to nothing as the familiar sounds of a slot machine filled the air again. Oh... FUCK. Seven... Seven... Seven. "Seven hundred attack points brat, and I move the Machine into Attack mode!" Seven hundred. Sounds of a jackpot could be heard, Katsuya tensing as the machine before him leveled his gun toward Red-Eye's head. Even with its piddly size compared to the dragon, there was no doubt that the weapon would pack a punch. No doubt... _'They have the same attack points,'_ Anzu was shouting from the side, the rest of the field filled in silence aside from casino rings and the breathing of his dragon. ' _Almost the same lifepoints... They're completely even!_ ' Damn it... Katsuya looked over his hand, narrowing his eyes. Nothing in his hand to help that he could tell... Sword and Shield would just screw Red-Eyes over completely at this point... All he had left was what was on the board! The blond grit his teeth, shaking his head. This feeling...

 

He was getting a nagging feeling in the back of his mind- everything was going to end this one turn, no matter what happened. This one turn...

 

"Hehehe... You better not still think you can beat me?" Keith was saying with a low growl, answered only by a steady glare. "Cause if you do," the American continued, taking a card from his hand, "I'll open your eyes with this..! Pillager!" What? Katsuya tensed, watching as from the now visible tablet a small thief bounded forward. The thief hoisted a sack on his back, hand on his hip as he looked toward the blond across from him. He didn't seem to be doing anything but... Wait, was he looking at? "Pillager lets me look at your hand and take any card I want," Keith said with a grin, his opponent swallowing with the words. Below on the field, Pillager was eyeing his hand with evident interest... Shit. "Now show me your damn hand, brat!"

 

"Gh...Rrgghh..." Katsuya grit his teeth, turning the hand around and revealing his four cards. Shit... While he didn't have a card that would help him, there was definitely a card that would help Keith!

 

Chuckling continued as he held the hand there, the pillager on the bottom giving one point before he and the tablet vanished from view in a blast of windswept dust. "Hehehe... Looks like for all the crap in your hand, you have a nice card there!" Shut the fuck up Keith... Shut. Up. "Didn't you beat Kotsuzuka with this one?" the man said with a wide grin, reaching forward to roughly snatch the card from his hand. The blond pulled his hand back, still glaring as his opponent continued. "I'll take this one... And with that, it's all over 'Joey'!" Stop calling him that already! The card was slapped on the table, tablet appearing only to spin rapidly from its position on the field. Dust flew from the rock, wrapping itself around the Slot Machine and Red-Eyes both before the monsters shook the stone particles from their faces with a growl and a roar. Gh... For all that wasn't visible, it still seemed apparent that the Slot Machine had the advantage. Now there was a six hundred point difference... If he'd just had one turn-

 

Wait...

 

"HAHAHA! Attack," Keith ordered, Katsuya hurriedly reaching for his trap. One turn... Alright! "PLASMA LASER CANNON!" No time... No time...

 

The laser on the cannon arm charged, aiming toward his monster as sparks of electricity jumped off the sides. Red-Eyes bent its head in front of his master, growling warningly at the Slot Machine before it. "W-Wait," he shouted, flipping the card on the field as the tablet before it spun forth. The image slowly came into being, small hooded boy beginning to materialize from the stone. "I'm activating this face down card!" the blond continued, opponent simply laughing in response as the card slowly took effect.

 

"It doesn't matter," the American shouted madly, Katsuya's 'Graverobber' rushing over to Keith's card pile from the tablet it leaped from. Though the ground was littered with metal scraps it ran, the board proving a fairly long distance for a figure of its size. No time... "DIE!" Keith roared, Slot Machine's attack charging to its last length. "The black dragon _DIES_!" The laser blasted into Red-Eyes' face, the dragon giving a strangled roar before a solid and fist sized hole appeared between his eyes. His head sunk to the table at Katsuya's side, the blond swallowing as he brought his attention to the spell he'd activated. Come on. The first part of the move was over... Graverobber hurriedly dug into Keith's cards, searching frantically for a single thing before running back over with a tablet on his back. It

was interesting how the 'Graveyard' had materialized as a pile of the tablet rubble... But nonetheless, it made it easier to comprehend how Graverobber was finding a stone tablet in there. "I win!” Keith was shouting with a laugh, his opponent still watching his spell card do its work. "HAHAHAHAHA!" Graverobber pulled on its master's sleeve at the table amid the shouts, Katsuya looking down to smirk as the boy vanished from sight. Only a tablet remaining there, a tablet that was already glowing with power on the field. Time Machine. And as the card activated, the blond looking forward at his opponent, Keith's laughter began to fall short incredibly quick. "Haha... Hah... Ah... What..."

 

Katsuya's smirk grew, the 'Time Machine' tablet grinding away into nothingness as an enormous metal capsule appeared behind him. He didn't need to turn around to know what happened. Hell, he could feel the heat from the giant steel box as it was! "Heh... I ain't proud 'f beatin' you at thieving Keith," he said with a grin, the door hissing open behind him as a loud and thundering roar followed after. "But say hello t' my friend from th' past!" One turn backward... Before the death, before the Sword and Shield... Keith was staring at the board in horror where Red-Eyes hologram was likely appearing, the dragon itself taking position behind him with a low and angered growl. _'No_ ,' Keith was muttering, Red-Eyes baring its teeth to the man as it glared. ' _No... That means..._ ' "You got it," he shouted, smirk falling back to a determined frown, the dragon beside him raising its head to take aim. "Attack and d'fense wasn't reversed last turn... Which means I'm bringin' my dragon back at full strength!" Four hundred points more, against four hundred life points? Easy math. "Go for it Red-Eyes," he shouted, the dragon's fiery breath charging above him. " _DARK MEGA FLARE_!"

 

As the blast charged down on Keith's last monster there was a loud explosion, the circuits and sparks in the machine joining with the dragon's flames in the worst way possible. Flames leapt from the table as the remaining tablet remains and 'graves' vanished into smoke, the Slot Machine giving one last fruitless 'clank' before falling into melted pieces of scrap.

 

"Slot Machine is destroyed!" he continued, his opponent still staring in shock as cheers continued from the side. With the machine's destruction the field cleared, smoke and shadows both vanishing as a shout came from Crocketts at the side. Keith's lifepoints had been eradicated dead on after all. 'T _he match between Howard Keith and Jonouchi Katsuya is resolved,_ ' the announcer was calling, Keith still staring with mixed rage and horror. _'And the winner is... JONOUCHI KATSUYA!_ ' He won! He _won_! The blond slammed his hand and cards on the table before jumping to his feet, his dragon remaining at his side only a moment before vanishing with the rest of the board. "YES! In yer face y' creep!" he said with a shout, arms raised as he grinned. Keith merely continued to growl, grabbing his cards and storming from the duel table in a rage as Katsuya continued to cheer. "I WON!" HAH! To say he beat the former champ of the US...

 

That wasn't something to sneeze at! "Jonouchi!" the others were calling, the blond turning as his grin faded to a more controlled smile. He really did it... Mokuba, Seto-chan, everyone else... He did it...

 

...So why did he feel...

 

"Congratulations," Anzu said, she and Yugi both coming over. Why'd he feel so damn exhausted now that that was over with? Haha...

 

Ha... "Anzu," he said, looking at the woman before turning down to his friend. "Yugi..." Nothing but smiles and quiet celebration! ...He did it. He threw an arm around both, head bowed as he continued to smile. He was shaking... Why the hell was he shaking? "Thanks," he said quietly, pulling his friends into the hug. "I couldn't have won without you guys... Wouldn't 've stood a chance..."

 

Yugi shook his head as the blond pulled out, arms still resting on their shoulders. "No Jonouchi," he said calmly, hands in his pockets as his friend pulled back completely. "You had the courage of a true duelist... You fought alone, and because of that you were victorious!" Courage... Hah... Like what Mai said eh?

 

"Yeah," Anzu said with a nod, stepping back slightly as Keith shoved past from behind them. "You won without the help of anyone... Both now and a few times before; you can be proud of that, we didn't do anything!" Katsuya blinked, pulling out the 'Honor' card Mai had given him with a nod. All him... He stared at the card, frowning slightly before turning back to his friend. He owed Mai one...but first.

 

"Sorry Yugi," he said with a small and nervous smile, pocketing the card again and moving to clear his side of the field of cards. "I know this was jus' th' semi-finals... But f'r me, that felt like th' final battle..." He couldn't fight anymore. Not with cards, not today. As he gathered the deck back up and put it back into his jacket, Katsuya turned to the others once more.

 

"But," Anzu was saying, giving a small shrug before crossing her arms. "If you and Yugi both advanced to the final match, doesn't that mean you both have to fight each other still?" Hah... Not like they wouldn't know the answer to that match up...

 

Beside him, Yugi shook his head, frowning. "No," he stated bluntly, his own arms crossed. "That won't be necessary... Our objective was to beat Pegasus," the boy continued, his friend nodding in agreement. "Now that we've come this far, he's within both our sights; if Jonouchi and I were to fight in front of him," he continued, eyes narrowed, "We'd only expose more of our tactics..." Not that he had any tactics in particular but... Whatever.

 

"I guess it could only hurt," Anzu was muttering, frown still remaining in place. Yeah...

 

Well, in any case. Yugi turned up to Katsuya, the blond blinking as his friend faced him with a still determined frown. "Jonouchi," he asked, the teen staring with wide eyes for a moment. "Will you leave the rest to me?" He...

 

Katsuya swallowed, silent for a moment. "Yugi..." This was... Hell, he admitted that that would likely happen, but when the question was actually asked... "I know you're th' only person with a clean shot at beating Pegasus," he began, pulling his 'Honor' card from his pocket again to stare at it a moment. "Hell I knew that b'fore we even got here but... But still, I..." He shook his head, eyes still wide before he grabbed his friend's shoulders. "I... Can I really weigh you down with all this," he asked, looking at Yugi with a frown. "With Mokuba, W' S-... Kaiba... You're already fighting for yer Grandpa," he continued, head again bowed as he spoke. "But do you really want to... Would... Would y' really..."

 

"Of course," Yugi answered, smiling. "I would never refuse my friend- and I'll win not because I can," he continued, bowing his own head as Katsuya turned to face him. "I'll win because I fight for you, and for the others... Just like you fought for them." Yugi... "Jonouchi," the boy stated, narrowing his eyes with a steady frown. "I will defeat Pegasus... For you... For Mokuba... For my grandfather... And for Kaiba." Katsuya stared, before nodding and handing his card to the boy. Alright...

 

As Yugi held the card up for Pegasus to see, the blond turned his narrowed glare upward. They wouldn't let this guy get between them! It was time to fight. Let him do his worst, let him snatch his soul on the spot, it was time. Pegasus was standing from his chair, muttering something to a shocked guard at the side. Though the guards both looked as though they would argue for a moment, they calmed rather quickly. For a second Pegasus merely stood there, watching the guards leave...

 

Finally the man looked down and gave a wide, false smile. "Very well Yugi-boy," he said calmly, Katsuya and Yugi both narrowing their eyes further as the man spoke. "We will hold the final battle of the kingdom! But first," he continued, gaze appearing to shift over to the blond momentarily. First? "It's almost noon... A break for lunch will be held, to give those who have lost an opportunity to gather their things... And for you to prepare your deck for our final match." A large grin appeared on his face, the man giving Crocketts a wave before leaving the room. Lunch huh.

 

The man at the side nodded, turning to the three remaining in the room. "If I could ask you to clear the room," he stated, gesturing to the door with a blank and neutral expression in place. "We will prepare the arena for the final match; staff will deliver a small meal to your rooms," Crocketts continued, Anzu audibly muttering something about the 'food' likely being only in name as opposed to existence, "So wait there until someone notifies you of the battle start." They were going to send them food? After all the crap from before?

 

Yeaaaah right. Briefly, he thought about arguing against that but in the end... "Alright," Yugi said, both Anzu and Katsuya looking at him for a moment. He had a feeling there was a reason why Pegasus called the 'break' after all. "We'll do as you say..." As he turned to leave, the others following behind him however, Crocketts coughed.

 

"First," he said, the three turning yet again. "As the runner-up to the tournament, Jonouchi Katsuya will need to be taken to a separate room for a briefing on his prize..." 'Briefing'? As the blond frowned, Crocketts continued on, hands held firmly behind his back. Shit. So not only were they being separated, they were being separated by a good number of hallways! "If you could follow me," he stated with an almost chilling tone, Katsuya's frown gaining an added feeling of nervousness as the others behind him listened with narrowed eyes. "This will only take a moment..." Yeah...

 

Only a moment right? He could hear his heart beat with that statement...

 

Final match was going to start in an hour, but something told him he would take longer than that hour. At the same time... The blond swallowed, but nonetheless nodded. He couldn't make a scene here. He couldn't. Yugi needed to face off against Pegasus, finish him off. If it was anything but a duel, then Pegasus would probably call him out on it and render the entire unspoken agreement void.

 

"Jonouchi," Anzu was asking, eyeing Crocketts with evident suspicion. "Are you sure about this, I mean... You can do this later can't you?" Probably not, he thought with a grimace.

 

Before Crocketts could answer that however, Katsuya shook his head and did it for him. "Nah... Like he said," the blond muttered with a cough, "Only a moment righ'?" Despite the sudden tenseness of the situation Katsuya continued to look forward, attempting to hold a confident stare. He was done with the dueling after all; if this was what was next... Then he couldn't risk Yugi's shot at Pegasus by arguing now. He couldn't risk everything. "...Lead th' way," he said with a shrug, moving past the others and giving one quick glance to his friend. Yugi's eyes were narrowed with suspicion only a moment, before they widened with realization. Yeah...

 

He'd guessed too.

 

"Look after that thing," Katsuya muttered under his breath, before walking off down the hall. "I leave it up t' you Yugi..." Get their souls out. He'd do whatever else he could from the sidelines!

 

With that they went their separate ways- Anzu and Yugi to their rooms to pack up whatever was left and prepare for the next duel... And the blond being taken to a room elsewhere in the castle, to await whatever would happen next. Whatever it was he decided with a nod, hands in his pockets as he and the suit both passed through a nearby hall to enter a large study room, he would be ready. Honda was looking for the bodies still. Yugi would soon be fighting for the souls. As for himself...

 

He was 'here'.

 

The blond looked around the room he was taken into for a moment, sunlight pouring through wide open curtains to illuminate the lavishly furnished surroundings. Fireplace at one side, a couch across from him... Walking forward to inspect the table, he had to raise an eyebrow. Damn. There actually _was_ f-

 

The sound of a door closing came through his ears, the blond turning back to face the one who had started the entire mess with a jump. As Pegasus walked in, small smile on his face, Katsuya swallowed. The door...

 

He turned his attention's to Pegasus, watching as the man moved around the room to take a seat in a nearby chair. "So," the man began, staring his 'guest' down with an odd and fairly cold smile. "How about we talk... 'Doggy-boy'?"

 

He didn't even need to look at that door to know it was locked now.

 


	21. Kyoufu Garden

There was something missing in the card that he held in his pocket at the moment. Something he felt critical... But not so that he could be bothered to care about it too much. It couldn't be too much after all. The card looked for all appearances 'normal' didn't it? Completely normal. Well, save the calm expression in place of course, after all how many held a peaceful expression when being spiritually imprisoned?

 

But given the actions before sealing, he wasn't surprised that such an expression had come into place. After all... For 'Kaiba-dear', 'imprisonment' hadn't been something to fear so much as something to accept, had it. There was something missing there though. The card seemed to lack something, something vital, but for each 'something' that came to mind it proved to be there, safely in place... Interesting. How very...

 

Interesting.

 

Pegasus turned his attention back to the duel arena below, watching as the second of the semi-final matches began. Keith Howard versus Katsuya Jonouchi. The man smirked, single eye narrowed with interest as he watched. He couldn't glean their thoughts from this distance of course. Even if he could, he would prefer not to in this case. It would ruin the surprise, the 'meat' of the duel. Though while he was not interested in their thoughts... Base emotions were another. After all he could snatch at their top most feelings at the very least, see the details of the board that most could not, even up close. Things such as Jonouchi's incredible come back during his duel, a comeback that should have otherwise been impossible with the difference in deck strength, strategy, experience...

 

Champion of the USA versus two week playing amateur, who had only made eighth in the regionals of Tokyo! Against an entire country's worth of ability such skills were child's play, literally! Then again the man thought with distaste, watching the duel below with a slight frown. Keith had come back a ruined man, hadn't he. After his defeat according to rumor, he had turned to alcohol and drugs both, and when the vices proved expensive he turned to gambling in a pathetic attempt to pay the debts. As Keith himself said from below...

 

To feel true fear was to stand at the gates of hell themselves, as he had in that time. And there was no place closer. What thoughts they had, even without the words to guide them. What interesting and enlightening thoughts he could see. On the American's side there was despair, revenge, and a killer's intent that had only been beaten out by the 'dear' woman in his card- Her anger at least, had been somewhat understandable however. He had her brother after all, and given her drive, her desire to atone to that one boy, he could see why she had been so restless until the end. Keith had none of this however, nothing even remotely close to it. Only a mad, unbridled desire to see his end, to bring about the death of the one who had in his opinion destroyed his life. The other one however...

 

The 'jailers dog', with the keys to his guardian's possessions in his maw. A tight hold that matched his resolve on the field now, the hope and trust that filled him to the brim. Another point in the duel and these emotions were joined by awe, and shock. Pegasus narrowed his eye, a small smirk appearing on his face as the blond sent a glance to the side rather than the board with the summoning of his Red-Eyes. Interesting... He himself couldn't see anything of course, but wasn't this _interesting_... The number of emotions running high would almost make him wonder if someone the boy cared about was on the field now. If someone on the field had actually died, was actually at a risk... Actually fighting for him even. "Hnhnhnhnhn..."

 

He chuckled, eye narrowing with mirth as he continued to observe the fight below. Such an interesting duel, the match between light and darkness. This battle of chance and belief against sheer raw power. The man crossed his arms, continuing to watch the battle unfold before him on the field. Like a ping-pong ball the balance of power went back and forth, back and forth. From the light to the darkness, from will, determination, and faith, to rage, strategy, and vengeance. Abruptly however, his eye narrowed, honing in on the older of the competitors. Hold on... Now what was that? Keith didn't draw a card there. Yet he had another in his hand, a card that had been played on the field just then.

 

...Cheating!

 

The eye narrowed further, Pegasus' expression souring at the sight. From the wrist, during moments where he'd brought it up with his other hand to rub his shoulder... There! The man's hand was brought down, slightly cupped as it hovered over his deck in a drawing motion. Faking a draw... Not once but twice. He didn't want to bring it up now of course. It would be better to see how the dear 'hound' of the Kaiba house made out with this situation, this 'miracle draw'. Would he still manage to make a comeback, as he had with the first draw?

 

A few moves passed and the cheat earned his first dose of 'Karma'; despite the foul play Jonouchi had turned the duel around completely to bring about its end. The duel board cleared, and as the American slunk away he found himself responding with a small applause. Wonderful! Simply wonderful, how much of a comeback an amateur could make, turning his opponent's cards against him... A small smirk appeared on his face as cheers erupted below, and again he crossed his arms. Interesting, so very interesting... Those emotions he felt rush from the blond amid the celebration... In addition to the elation and success, could one of them be... _More_ than simply concern and triumph? Muted conversation began from below, and as a single bond of trust was felt the man watched his would be opponent hold the Honor card high. So the blond had forfeited then. Handing over his card back to its rightful owner, returning the honor of the King's 'right'...

 

It seemed that a battle between these two wouldn't happen. He stared down, silent as a single message came through his mind scan. Two phrases thought so strongly, so powerfully they reached across even the boundaries of his own ability. These thoughts were meant for his eyes and ears.

 

_'Now Pegasus,_ ' Yugi seemed to shout, a deep and determined frown in place as he addressed his desired opponent. _'Now is the time we fight!'_ Well... The smirk on his face grew, and within a split second his decision was made. The CEO turned to his guards, smirk dropping to a more professional and neutral stare. " _Prepare the north study for a guest_ ," he told the leftmost one, watching as the man left without question in response to the English spoken command. If those below understood him, aside from Crocketts he'd be surprised. First year of high-school in Japan was hardly much for English education, which certainly helped with 'privacy' for the moment. And privacy would be important now, wouldn't it... After all now that the 'dog' had given up his right to fight, he had also given up his right to the keys he held. Now, he thought as he looked to his second guard. For the next task. "Tamaki," he asked, the second man turning with a nod. "Prepare my duel stage..."

 

"W-... But Mr. Pegasus," he protested, turning to the man with wide eyes, an expression plainly obvious even behind darkened shades. "S-Sir... The duel between Katsuya Jonouchi and Yugi Muto hasn't even happened yet... The championship isn't-" Complete? It wasn't a problem. "They don't need to fight," he stated calmly, eye closed partially over almost lazily. Pegasus looked back down on the two boys, smiling oddly as he again gleaned the top most emotions from their mind. Such intense feeling down there... The guard behind him momentarily stopped his protest, the American continuing when he noticed the silence. "A duel between those two," he stated, eye narrowing further in seeming mirth, "Would be completely pointless..." He could see it, literally see it in their eyes. The bond of trust that connected them both, materializing almost physically between the two, a cord of gold stronger than steel itself. And by taking the wishes of the blond, the wishes of his friend, Yugi's strength and resolve had become even stronger, strengthening that bond. And in return, the blond's defenses were turned to something else, his focus having turned to that bond and seemingly nothing more.

 

Jonouchi's resolve to fight had been turned toward a different cause, something else, but he was relaxed now. With that in mind he would take the time originally intended for a duel between the two and use it for something worthwhile.

 

"It's strange," the man said with a small laugh, hands resting on the ledge as he continued to stare downward. "But at this moment, I feel like facing this 'other Yugi' head on..." As the king of the Duelist Kingdom, 'defending' his title so to speak... Of course before that, he would have to deal with something... Else. "Very well Yugi-boy," he said almost quietly, likely only just audible by those below as his tone raised above his previous self-mutterings. "We will hold the final battle of the Duelist Kingdom! But first," he added, turning his eye on Jonouchi for just a brief moment as the smirk grew. Suspicion was more than evident now... For good reason, he supposed. "It's almost noon," he trailed off, sending a glance to his assistant at the side as the man pulled out his radio. Good... The message was being passed. "A break for lunch will be held, to give those who have lost an opportunity to gather their things... And for you," he added, turning his eye on his soon to be opponent, "To prepare your deck for our final match..." Such anger they had. Such intense rage and grit determination to see his end. Hnhnhnhnhn...

 

He gave Crocketts a wave, his guard's radio-made instructions being enough to continue the rest. Complimentary 'cheese and crackers' for the guests while they waited... That would be enough, in addition to the water. A little something more in his study though he decided, moving past the chair to leave for the hall. After all, it was lunch time. Perhaps a main dish of shrimp and steak, that should appeal to his guest's interests. If old wives would have the belief be that the heart was through the stomach, than how about the weak points of the mind?

 

Of the soul?

 

A calm smile came over his face as he walked, arms held crossed behind him. Such a thrill he had though! He was almost trembling with excitement for his duel, and that wouldn't even be ready for an hour! Of course he thought with a smile, just how long had it been that these feelings had been stirred up to a challenge? Since he could feel legitimately excited about a duel... Eager to face a truly worthy opponent? He turned the corner, before pausing with a frown.

 

"Hehehehehe..." Pegasus blinked, eyebrows raising slightly as rough chuckling came from down the hall. Now... He knew that voice. Hard to miss after all, when the rest of the people in the building were either mostly silent guards or younger competitors in his tournament. The man stared ahead, watching as in the distance the familiar flag-printed bandanna of his 'third place' finalist came into view. Stumbling along the side of the hallway Keith walked, slowly, drunkenly... Madly he'd hazard to say even. "Hehehe heh... Hehehe... Pegasus," he said with a wide grin, eyes blocked by the sunglasses that somehow still clung to his face. The man was stooped over in a slouch as he moved, slowly but steadily down the hall. Light gleamed off the edge of his knife as it dragged along the wall, a long thin line digging into the plaster as it was dragged over and above each vase nestled at the side. Well... At least those were still intact. He rather liked jasmine flowers. Nonetheless, the walls... He'd probably have to have at least three halls re-plastered now. " _We finally meet, face to face..._ "

 

The guard beside him instantly tensed, moving for his gun. "Bandit Keith," he shouted in shock, moving to step forward only to be blocked by Pegasus's arm. "W-What... S-Sir..."

 

"Stop," he said calmly, eye never once moving from Keith's stumbling form. He would deal with this himself... All the damage done would need to be paid for somehow after all. Tamaki turned, raising an eyebrow as his boss smiled oddly. "There's no need for a weapon, Tamaki..." No need... The man turned back to Keith, smile still in place as he took a step forward. His guard was putting his gun down slightly, still nervous about what might happen... He expected as much, but either way no shots would be fired. " _Now_ ," he began in English, hands moving to fold over at his front. " _You wanted to talk, 'Bandit Keith'..?_ "

 

Keith's grin grew, and he brought the knife up before him as it gleamed in the light around him. "Hehehe... _I'm going to say it... Just once Pegasus..._ " He fingered the blade, sunglasses falling slightly askew on his face as his target continued to stare. True, he knew what he was demanding... But for the moment, he'd listen nonetheless. Just for now... " _Just once... Give me that prize, right now_!" He shook his head, sighing as the man made his demands. So low he'd fallen, so very low...

 

" _Dear me,_ " he muttered, speaking clearly despite the apparent 'danger' before him. " _To see the old 'Prize King' like this,_ " Pegasus continued, crossing his arms once again. There was nothing but darkness in Keith Howard's mind. Despair and vengeance and a combination of hate that he quite honestly wasn't in the mood to deal with. " _It's no wonder,_ " he continued with a smile, " _That you lost to a mere boy who had never come into a tournament until just now..._ "

 

" _Just shut the fuck up_!" Keith roared, the man's grip on his weapon tightening as he moved forward. Glasses clattered to the ground and bloodshot eyes stared forward, eliciting little if any sort of reaction from Pegasus in response. " _Shut the fuck up and fork over the cash before I slit your damn throat!_ " Tsk tsk tsk... So impatient...

 

The smile disappeared, Pegasus' eye narrowing in annoyance. No manners whatsoever. He didn't even attend the dinner the night before. " _Yes, well_ ," he muttered dismissively, shaking his head. Talking time was over. He was on a schedule after all. " _I don't think I'll be doing that just yet... I must say though_ ," he continued plainly, " _I'm very glad we had this little chat,_ " For the situation he was in, Pegasus' voice was dangerously calm, as was his posture as he stood before his former one-time opponent. " _According to the Kingdom's regulations you must be punished after all... I saw what you did during the match Keith,_ " he said coldly, voice devoid of the former cheer and 'kind' natures. " _Did you honestly think you could cheat... In front of me? Moving not one, but two cards from your wristband to your hand..._ " The clicking sound from before came again as he shook his head, the man before him merely laughing in response. Really... " _Not at all a show of good play..._ "

 

"Hah! _So what,_ " Keith growled, his own grin still wide and evident on his face. " _You think I give a flying fuck about the match? My rules,_ " he shouted, waving his knife with a laugh. " _My plan... All legal by my fucking standards!_ " So was that how it was?

 

Pity. There was nothing more in this man's mind, and nothing remotely useful nor even resembling a thought. " _Dear me_ ," he muttered, ignoring the mad ravings before him. Such a pity that a prideful champion could fall so low... A true pity, a disgrace to the flag he wore across his brow. " _It seems to me that you lost your mind as a duelist when I defeated you in America..._ " He continued to shake his head, eye 'glowing' behind his hair as his mood darkened. Well now... Cheaters deserved at least one 'small' chance didn't they? And Keith had claimed that the escape from hell was through him... " _Are you ready_?" he asked, voice low as he stared down the man before him. Perhaps if he was lucky he'd pull his way out of this hell, and escape death again. Shadows seeped from the hall around them, swirling angrily at the command of his eye. Across from him Keith was staring with wide eyes, knife clattering to the ground as the Pegasus pointed forward. "PENALTY GAME!" The man before him tensed considerably, mouth hanging open in a silent scream. Shadows wrapped around the man's wrist, and those who could see them looked toward the appendage in question. Keith and Pegasus were both silent, one in horror the other in mere distaste. To look at Hell, he had asked? To have a gun to your head, just as Keith had gestured on the board below. And as that same gesture was made, Keith's face couldn't have been more terrified, fingers curling into the iconic 'shoot' position. A barrel to a gun twisted out from his palm, veins bulging and moving to the sides as a series of bullets appeared to glimmer within each one. His middle finger moved forward slightly as though to hold a trigger, and from his index finger there came a small hole. His thumb clicked back, like the safety of a gun, and as the American's middle finger pulled in panicked whimpers coming through the air...

 

_-BANG!_

 

....As he walked silently down the hall, shadows pulling inward he could hear the thoughts of the guard behind him. What happened? Why had the would be attacker simply collapsed, as though dead? Was that blood trickling down the side, pooling around his skull? Or was it merely an illusion? Only he knew, and that was all that mattered.

 

Best to shake the man out of his stupor however. "The arena, Tamaki," he said curtly, the guard behind him giving a nervous cough and turning to his employer. "I will contact you when I have finished with my other guest..." There was only silence in response for a short while, before a small and nervous ' _Yes sir, Mr. Pegasus,_ ' was received as an answer. The men both moved down the hall in silence, passing through the main path as an eerie calm settled over them. The hall they came to split in two, one to the stairs and one to the next hall.

 

With that they took their separate ways, the guard moving toward where the Arena controls would be located, and the American coming toward the study he had asked Crocketts to prepare for 'meeting'.

 

Such an annoyance... He would have to have someone dispose of Keith's corpse later on, though for now it wouldn't hurt to leave him there. Perhaps his next guest would prove more interesting for conversation, or at least a more interesting form of thought. Coming toward the door he watched as Crocketts moved from where he had stood vigil in front of the entrance. He had been making sure his 'guest' remained in place. Personally, Pegasus decided mentally, Crocketts would have been taken out rather quickly if the 'dog' had truly decided to make a move.

 

Even so he appreciated the effort. "Mr. Pegasus," Crocketts said with a nod, bowing his head and stepping to the side. " _As requested, Katsuya Jonouchi has not left the room since entering. The windows have been monitored in case he attempts to escape, but so far there has been no sign of an attempt._ " There was a short silence, and the man continued as his boss reached for the door. He was wondering why they needed to monitor the boy so heavily... Well, he never did tell anyone who really had the key after all. " _In addition,_ " his assistant stated, frowning slightly as he pulled something from his pocket, " _There's something our men spotted on the old security feeds of Mr. Kaiba's bedroom_." Pausing again for a moment, he handed his boss a single slip of paper before bowing his head. " _We thought you might find it... Interesting_ ," the man decided with a small cough, " _...In regards to what we deciphered from this clip..._ "

 

Pegasus skimmed the sheet just briefly, pocketing the note and turning the handle to the room with a small smile. It was always good to have someone who could read lips on hand when looking into these tapes. This would make things very interesting... " _Well done Crocketts_ ," he stated calmly, opening the door quietly. So the 'hound' did know its task... Among other things. "If you could make sure the arena is prepared," the man continued with a slight frown, " _I asked Tamaki to do so, but in light of recent events I'm not completely sure he's... Up to the task._ " Pegasus paused for a moment, before stepping into the room. " _Be sure that everything is perfect, alright~?_ " he asked with a small smile, turning to his assistant for one last moment. "And by the way," he added, Crocketts nodding in response. " _Be sure to patch that feed transcribed here to the Tokushima screen in the room. I'm sure we can find the... Answer, to our little problem~_ "

 

With a curt nod from his assistant Pegasus walked into the room, quietly shutting the door behind him as an onslaught of suspicion and anger came from the guest in the room. Really, such an upsetting mood... To be expected of course, but nonetheless! Why, even the food was untouched! He shook his head slightly, turning the lock to the door before moving back to look at the blond teen standing before him. A blank frown...

 

And an active attempt to hide his thoughts, very interesting, if not more intelligent than he would expect from the boy. "So," he began, moving to take a seat at the side as he switched back to the Japanese language. "How about we chat..."

 

* * *

 

"Doggy-boy..." Pegasus hadn't looked at him when he started speaking, but he had long since turned around to see his scowl with those words. Again with that name. Stop calling him a god damned dog... Katsuya narrowed his eyes, gaze following Pegasus as the man sat before him on the couch. He was silent only for a moment, not even looking at the blond- his back the only thing that met Katsuya's stare. However as Katsuya took a few steps around the couch, watching as Pegasus crossed his legs, the man spoke. "Now now," Pegasus said with a smile, taking a glass from the table and pouring himself something that looked to be wine. "You don't need to get angry about it..." Angry about- Of course, the name... The blond tensed, his jaw tightening. Only two seconds into 'conversation' and already he was pulling that?

 

"Why shouldn' I be angry," he muttered, watching his 'host' take a sip from the glass, two meals of steak and shrimp steaming on the coffee table in the middle. "Yer flipping through my head like a book right now!" Pegasus sighed, shaking his head.

 

"Well, I suppose I could call you 'Katsuya-boy'," he said with a smile, the blond tensing in response. Like that was any better than 'dog'! Using his first name... They weren't on those kind of terms by a long shot! The man before him merely continued to smile slightly, leaning back against his couch. "Hah... And to think," he muttered, 'tsk' noises coming around the room for a few moments. "I had all this food prepared just for you~! In fact," he continued as he gestured to the coffee table with an eerie smile, "I heard this was your 'favorite'..." Oh, so the food was leverage then? Well screw that... "Of course," Pegasus continued, taking another sip of his wine, "I suppose I've been rude as well..." He laughed, grabbing an empty glass from the table in the place of his own and holding it out to the teen. "I didn't even offer you anything! You must be exhausted after all, coming all this way... You didn't even have the strength for the finals," he said lowly, 'guest' swallowing in response. "You should gather your strength... Care for some shrimp, or maybe a bit of wine to drink?" Gh...

 

Like hell he was taking anything from this guy. "Tch..." Katsuya stepped back slightly, narrowing his eyes and not even bothering to spare a glance at the food. Yeah, it smelled great but knowing his luck it was poisoned... Not to mention, he had a feeling the others weren't getting this kind of treatment. "I ain't hungry," he muttered, shaking his head slightly. Stomach said otherwise of course, particularly with the looks of the steak on the table but... Either way! If the others were probably hungry, then he would stay that way! "And b'sides," he added with a scowl, pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind as he fixed Pegasus with a glare. "'M pretty sure I ain't legally able t' drink in _any_ country let alone Japan righ' now..."

 

The man across from him merely chuckled in response, replacing the glass on the table before him as the remaining food and wine was left untouched. "...If you say so," he said quietly, before a wide grin came into place. "Well... We have a lot to talk about," he began, clapping his hands together. "Please, take a seat 'doggy-boy', I can't wait to get started!~" Yeah, he bet he couldn't. He swallowed as he stood with his back to the fireplace and continued to glare at his 'host'. Names aside...

 

Let's just not do that now. "I don' think I will," he said with a frown, shaking his head as he swallowed. Definitely not saying anything. Or thinking anything really. Besides, he told himself with another nervous swallow, Pegasus couldn't possibly stall the entire day, he had to face Yugi in less than an h-

 

"Oh, I'm not pressed for time," Pegasus stated calmly, stopping the blond's thoughts in their tracks. What? "The duel will begin when I wish for it to after all..." Briefly, his eye held a solid gaze in the teen's own, 'guest' growing slightly pale. Don't look at him. Don't... As Pegasus merely smirked in response, the man's gaze quickly flicked down to the pendant around his neck. "My my," he muttered,

grin fading into a smirk as Katsuya followed the stare. "An interesting necklace you have there 'doggy-boy'..." Gh- Necklace? The blond tensed, the small 'box' pendant hanging innocently around his neck before his eyes. S-Shit... It wasn't tucked in! "The shape on its cover," Pegasus continued almost 'off handedly', smirk shrinking even more as it became increasingly menacing in appearance. "It almost looks like a certain key I've been looking for..."

 

Katsuya grabbed the pendant, growling under his breath with those words. Yeah, he bet it looked similar! "Yeah? And y' ain't getting anywhere near it," he spat, eyes narrowed as he stuffed it back under his shirt. Really figured that it would end up outside his shirt in the earlier search... Either way, he was still protecting it. Pegasus wasn't coming anywhere near this box... Not even a foot! Chuckling continued from the chair, causing the blond to grow still paler.

 

"Just as expected from the guardian of the Kaiba family," Pegasus said with a smile, shaking his head. 'Guardian'? That was a new title... "But alas, it seems you failed anyways..." Gh- Failed... As Katsuya tensed further, the man merely continued to smile. "It must be devastating, 'Doggy-boy'! To take such an important position in the home only for it all to fall apart! Ah..." Pegasus shook his head, an apparent expression of despair on his face. Don't talk about that. Don't talk about that so lightly... "Such an important task," the man before him continued, seemingly oblivious to the reaction he was receiving in response. "To hold those lives in your hands... It really doesn't suit you..." The blond's knuckles cracked, fists tightly clenched as he stood there. Just shut up... Shut the hell up!

 

Where did he get off, telling him this when he was the cause? Taking Mokuba's soul, and Seto-ch- He narrowed his eyes, keeping silent as he mentally corrected himself. Kaiba's soul... Kaiba's. Pegasus could read minds, Pegasus could read minds, _Pegasus could fucking read minds_ , and he couldn't forget that! Not if he was going to get out of this. "Stop callin' me a dog, Pegasus," he bit out in a pathetic attempt to change the subject, taking a small step back as his 'host' took another sip of wine. What did he want...

 

He wanted the key of course, he knew that, but why did Pegasus pull him out here for that? He could have just gone off to his room, take his soul before anyone was even aware. Again, Pegasus chuckled, tapping the side of the side-table beside him as a small keypad appeared. Hn! Here came some more silent conversation he guessed... "Why indeed?" Pegasus muttered, the glass of wine replaced once more on the table. "Why did you forfeit?" he asked lowly, an odd glint appearing in his eye, Katsuya narrowing his eyes in response. "Why did you take my offer to join my tournament only to give in so easily," he continued, tapping the keys beside him quietly. "You were so close," the man almost whispered, his guest merely tightening his jaw at the words. "So very very close Doggy-boy..." Stop calling him a... Damn it! Forget it! He obviously didn't care about what he thought anyways! "It almost makes me wonder," he muttered, pushing one final key on the pad before folding his hands before him, "If there was a more... Personal motive for things..." Personal?

 

The portrait behind him crackled, and Katsuya turned with narrowed eyes as what appeared to be a security feed replaced an image of the Tokushima coastline. Black and grainy white with grey, one person on a chair, another on a be- Hang on. This was...

 

He swallowed, Pegasus silent behind him as the blond attempted to curb his thoughts. He knew what this was. Shit... For all he wanted he couldn't ignore what was right there! The feed from Seto's bedroom was silent of course. Completely quiet for observation and privacy purposes, and even then, 'observation' was only something that the board of directors had managed to implement. This feed though...

 

The time stamp on the side read '10:17 PM', which he could remember gleaning from the clock as he waited for 'thirteen minutes later' to roll around. The date and month were also burned into his mind, and as he watched the feed he only dimly heard the voice behind him. "An interesting thing we found," Pegasus stated as the image of Seto's comatose form lay before them on the screen, his 'on screen counterpart' merely sitting quietly at the side. Though it was a four-poster bed, the curtains drawn apart still allowed a clear view up to the woman's neck, even with the blanket in place. And of course, given that nothing else was covered, everything other than Seto herself was clearly visible. Including... "This feed," the man behind him asked, Katsuya swallowing back a growl, "It came from your shift... Did it not?" Yeah.

 

His shift, but it didn't take a genius to notice that the person on shift was a good deal smaller in build than every one else on security staff! Another swallow, and the room fell silent again for just a moment. Wide eyes watched as the grainy version of himself sat on the chair, lips moving silently in speech as he mentally cursed himself. Shit... Shit. He even figured this could happen, why the hell did he have to be right!

 

He was never right damn it...

 

"I wonder," Pegasus continued, voice barely more of a whisper as it floated by his ear, despite the man having never moved from his spot. "Just what were you saying that night?" Get out of his head... Just get out! He could remember word for word what he said that night as his on-screen counterpart opened and closed his mouth. His words to the one that lay on that bed, the promise he'd made...

 

' _...I know,_ ' he'd said quietly, holding confidence in the privacy of the room, the silence in his last shift. ' _You'll probably do everything in your power to slaughter me when yah wake up..._ ' Each word he'd thought hidden from view of the camera had been perfectly visible, having no other thoughts than his failure. No other thoughts other than getting Mokuba back from Pegasus... ' _But I'm only lettin' yah do that after I've done that myself..._ ' Get out of his head. Pegasus had gone silent as the blond watched the feed, likely busy gaining a clear script from Katsuya's mind. ' _Mokuba's gone...'_ He knew he was there... This itching, invasive feeling at the back of his skull. Get out of his head... ' _Snatched off from school without me ev'n noticin'...'_ Get out of his head! ' _But I know who did it... An' I'm goin' after him with all I've got..._ ' GET OUT OF HIS HEAD! ' _But for his sake_ ,' Get... ' _I want you tah get better_!' Out of... ' _I want yah t' wake up f'r him,'_ His... ' _Even if he ain't here, got it?_ ' HEAD!

 

"You care so much for them Doggy-boy," Pegasus said from behind. The man had come up behind him, face far to close to him for comfort. "Keeping a faithful vigil by your employer's side, just what were you saying," he asked, Katsuya turning his eyes back with a nervous shudder. "Perhaps it was a promise?" 'Perhaps' his ass, he knew damn well! "A pity how that turned out..."

 

The blond jerked back taking a number of steps away and moving to the other side of the couch. Wide eyes and a flushed face turned to Pegasus, watching as the man continued to look toward the screen. "Gh... Stop flippin' through my head damn it!" The version of himself on screen was still talking... He'd leaned in closer to the one on the bed, the time-stamp hitting '10:26'. Not too close, but it was enough that his head was partially obscured by the bed's cover. "You already have me where y' want don't yah?" he continued, grinding his teeth. "After all, I ain't in yer tournament anymore!" He was long gone from that. He'd literally handed his rights to Yugi, so why was Pegasus bothering with all this!

 

Pegasus gave a mock sigh, shaking his head as he crossed his arms and turned back to the blond. "No," he said with a small smile, eye narrowing. "No you aren't... And such a pity too! I would have loved to see you face off against dear Yugi-boy... Hnhnhnhnhn..." Yeah, he bet he'd have enjoyed watching that, the bastard. The man turned back to the screens, Katsuya as well following his gaze. His on screen self had leaned over the bed. This was... The part where... "My," Pegasus said, the blond swallowing nervously as the words came to mind. He had to reign in his thoughts, he had to... But he couldn't!

 

_'Please don' kill me f'r this..._ ' The rest was left to imagination, but thanks to what he knew...

 

The man before him turned back with a narrowed and almost sadistic smirk, a shadow appearing to come over his face. "How close to her you are... How very close..." ...Her. He said... Wide and fearful eyes turned back on the man, Katsuya's face paling as he continued to back up toward the door. He had to get out of here, and fast. Pegasus knew. He fucking knew that she was... _who_ she was..! The American chuckled, arms crossed behind his back as the screen clicked off seemingly automatically. "Ahh... Young love," he said with a seemingly nostalgic sigh, shaking his head. Briefly, a genuine expression of sentimentality appeared on the man's face, before being replaced by the same dark smirk as before. "How wonderful it is... Hnhnhnhnhn..." The blood continued to drain from his face as Pegasus turned on him, eye narrowed to match his amused smirk. "Really Doggy-boy," he asked with a frown, shaking his head. "Did you think I wouldn't know who I was working with?" He grit his teeth, growling. Like hell he needed to even answer that if his head was an open book right now... He didn't think that this kind of crap would happen! The blond brought his hands behind him, back pressed against the door as he stared his 'host' down. Door was locked. Pegasus probably had the key... Not to mention everything else apparently. Pegasus again shook his head, turning his back to the teen for a moment. "I did try to be polite," he said quietly, gesturing to the likely cold food on the coffee table. "All that work for nothing, it's clear you were tired... But," he continued, picking his glass of wine from the table with a sigh, "It would seem that you and Kaiba-dear are more alike than I thought... Tsk tsk tsk," the man muttered, smile vanishing as he moved back from the table. "Refusing a host is never polite you know... I had all this food prepared for you, even allowed your dear friends a place to sleep..."

 

The teen snorted, a wry and forced smirk on his face. "Hah! Yeah," he muttered under his breath, "Some host you are... Didn' even have a bar 'f soap in th' bathroom, let alone las' night's 'supper'! Ended up chasin' a guy away from my bedroom!" And not just any guy either, fucking Bandit Keith who stole his card..!

 

"Oh... You must forgive me for that," Pegasus said with a mock cry, bringing a hand to his head. "But it's not my fault.. I only thought you wouldn't have the time for such things, that people would hold a sense of privacy! Besides," he continued, a dangerously eerie smile returning to his face. "It would

only be for a day after all... You really ought to be more considerate, 'doggy-boy'~." The man placed his glass of wine on the side table, pulling something out of his pocket and twirling it in his fingers. "I have your dear 'Kaseri-chan' after all..." Gh! Katsuya tensed, hands gripping the door knob behind him as his eyes grew wide once again. So he'd gotten that out of his head too then? Hah... Haha...

 

Damn it... A low growl came from his throat, jaw viced tightly closed as he narrowed his eyes in rage. "You... Don' bring that into this... Don't even think of it..."

 

He shook his head, fingering the card in his grip. "Whaaaat~? Oh, but Doggy-boy," he 'protested', the smirk still in place as he held the card's face toward the blond. An eerily calm expression was on the card, eyes closed in an expression that almost mimicked sleep. Hang on though... Did her eyes just..? "You love her don't you?" Pegasus asked, pulling the card back into his crossed arms. "You would do anything for her," he continued, a low chuckle grating against Katsuya's ears. "And yet she knows nothing of this... Can't even remember," he added as a seeming afterthought, the blond biting down on his lip to keep from shouting. Get out of his head damn it... Stop taking all of his thoughts and memories and using them like this! Stop it... Just stop... "It must be depressing," Pegasus muttered, smirk fading to a more 'serious' expression as he stared his guest down. "All you did, and she wasn't even awake to know... And when she woke up, almost in answer to those last words you left her..." Pegasus shook his head, eye shutting momentarily before he fixed him with a cold stare once more. "How did you feel?" he asked, "When she stepped out of that helicopter and the first thing she acknowledged was Yugi-boy? Your 'best friend'?"

 

Katsuya growled, eyes narrowing once again. "Gh... You can't prove that," he shouted, a small bit of blood catching in his throat from his bitten lip. Why would Seto look at him anyways, she pretty much detested him! He'd almost broken into her house, he'd seen her naked, got a job and a room at said house from it instead of a bullet in his skull... She hadn't actually forgotten, that was just a theory, it was just... "You don' know anythin' abou' that!"

 

And it was pretty much expected that she'd address the guy who put her in a coma first! He didn't know anything about this! Nothing... "Hnhnhnhnhn... Don't I?" he asked, spinning Seto's card in his fingers as a smirk returned to his face. "It seemed very obvious to me, during our duel..." Gh... Don't talk about that... Don't... "That's right," Pegasus continued in mock surprise, eye wide as he brought a hand to his face. "You didn't get to see that match, did you 'Doggy-boy'! You really should have~," he said, the shock and innocent cheer vanishing back into a dark smirk. "It was wonderfully played," he continued, before giving another mock sigh and shaking his head. "Such a pity she had to lose the way she did..." Shut up...

 

Blood was seeping out of his tongue as his teeth clamped on it but he didn't move. Hands continued to work the lock behind him as he glared, arms shaking in his anger. Just a few more clicks... Just a few more and he'd be out... Pegasus was walking toward him, and as a hand grabbed his chin the blond almost dropped his picks. "Gh-!" W-What the hell!

 

"Now," the man said, other arm reaching for the blond's own and pulling back roughly as a few metal tools clattered to the ground.

 

"Ack-!" Shit! There went-!

 

Pegasus' eye narrowed, a frown in place. Damn... For someone who was 'worried about his health' throwing duel disks, he had a fucking strong grip! "You didn't think I hadn't noticed that did you?" He grit his teeth, forcing a smile on his face. Blood was dripping from the side of his mouth. His tongue was filled with a coppery taste, and if he didn't think it'd damn the others he'd have put that to good use and spat in this guy's face.

 

"Well," he said, choking back on his nerves as Pegasus gave no apparent reaction to the mental comment, "I'd kinda hoped..."

 

Pegasus smirked, clapping his hand to the boy's face before holding Seto's card before him. "Did you now..." Gh- He tensed, completely motionless until the hand moved away. Don't... Don't touch him! "Tell me 'Doggy-boy'," he asked the card's visage catching Katsuya's eye and holding it completely. Those eyes... They'd been closed before, but was one of them maybe... Open now? Like a wink? (Or was that just him...) "What do you think would happen if I tore this card..." Tore it? His eyes widened, moving from the card to the one holding it. With Bakura it'd been figurines. _'I know the breaking point of my figurines_ ,' the 'dark' Bakura had said as the spikes dug into their skulls on the board, bodies trembling in the pressure. If the figurines had broken they'd have died. So if the card was torn, didn't that mean...

 

"N...No... That'll..." If her soul was... Was in there then... She would...

 

The smirk grew, and Pegasus moved back to replace the card in his pocket and give Katsuya some 'space'. "Right on the mark Doggy-boy~," he said almost cheerfully, waving one of his hands through the air with a laugh. "If I were to tear this card even slightly," the man continued, childish grin returning to the smirk once more, "Kaiba-dear's soul might not just make it out..." Gh... Then... Why bother with this! Was it her or the key then? Or her instead of Yugi even? "Now, I'm not going to offer to release her," the man continued lowly, his guest 'growling' across from him. "That would be foolish~! Not to mention 'Doggy-boy'," he stated with a short laugh. "A terrible lie... As would threatening to kill your precious 'Seto-chan'," the man added calmly. Gh... Then what the hell was he going to do? If she wasn't on the line then why bother mentioning her... Why drag her into this! Pegasus' smirk faded into a seemingly honest smile, the man crossing his arms as those thoughts came to mind. Katsuya stared, eyes narrowing into slits at the expression as his 'host's tone quieted somewhat. "However I will give you one chance, one offer 'Doggy-boy'... After all," he said with a light 'shrug', sighing. "I myself have someone I would do the same for..." Someone was actually in a relationship with this guy? Hah! He snorted, eyes drifting down to where his tools had fallen before looking back at his 'host'. No chance of getting those back any time soon he guessed... Still. 'Someone' else? Psh...

 

"Yeah, I bet! Who th' hell would wanna hang around someone like you," he spat, moving further back from the man. "Scannin' people's brains an puttin' their souls in tapes an' cards... Real charmin' I bet!" Like hell this guy was telling the truth! Come on... Give him some overly happy, exaggerated 'oh well~' and just finish this... He was good as gone wasn't he? And the longer this took, the longer the others would have to wait. If it took too long... He shook it from mind, waiting for the answer. Come on... Come-

 

He frowned as silence settled over the room, his 'hosts' voice just as quiet as it had been before. "...Yes...” Why wasn't the answer as snarky as he expected? "Yes that's..." Pegasus trailed off, eye staring off at the side before speaking again. "I suppose that is true... Nonetheless," he continued, tone darkening as a shadowed glint appeared in his eye, the chill in the room returning yet again. "That's not for you to decide, boy..." Just 'boy'? No 'doggy' this time? ...Oh hell that voice was creeping him out now. "Not when you know your fate..." Shit. Chuckling filled the room again, and the man began to pace around the couch as Katsuya stared. "You have something I want after all," he stated, the lack over-the-top cheer serving to further creep him out. "Something I need," he continued calmly. "The key around your neck- I'll take it regardless of what you say... But I'm going to offer you a deal..."

 

Katsuya grit his teeth, spitting what remained of the blood in his mouth on the ground. "You c'n blow it out yer ass Pegasus... I don' care what you offer, I-"

 

"You'll refuse it? Really," he said, shaking his head, an exaggerated expression of disappointment clearly visible. "You shouldn't be so quick to reject my offer Doggy-boy~! I haven't even explained... Hnhnhnhnhn..." Pegasus stopped walking, the couch sitting between he and the blond as he crossed his arms yet again. The card was again in his hands, Katsuya noted, frowning. And it looked different again... Both eyes were half open, staring blankly forward, but that wasn't all either. Beside the name at the top, where it had simply held the kanji of Seto's name, a few question marks had appeared... And the particle 'To'. Katsuya stared, wide and livid eyes narrowing slightly with confusion as he swallowed. What the hell... "I can seal a soul into any object after all... Even if it's already occupied..." Already occupied! What the hell was he getting at here... "The soul is eternal," Pegasus continued, expression of neutrality only marred by the shadow over his eye. "Ageless and never dying... I could give you the chance to see your dear 'Seto' again," he offered, voice little more than a whisper as his guest stared, eyes widening as the message became clear. "Have you join her in this card rather than banish you to an eternity of solitude... If you'll just give me the key without questions." Forever with... Tch!

 

He growled, drawing back even further from the man as he made his way back toward the door. 'Forever' with Seto-chan huh? And what about Mokuba? Or even Seto's own nerves on the subject? (He'd admit it himself, his chances were... Pretty damn low.) Besides... 'Soul imprisonment' wasn't on his list of ways to go out! "Forget about it!" he snarled, hands moving in front of him in a poor attempt at defense as they closed into fists. Wouldn't do anything for his soul but... The hell he wouldn't at least try to slam him one in the end. "Y' mind as well jus' take my soul now if that's what yer' gonna try!"

 

Pegasus' eye narrowed, and the card was instantly replaced in his pocket. "I suppose I tried," he said exasperatingly, shrugging with a mock sigh. "I'm not even sure why I bothered with such an attempt! Just look at what you did to my carpet," he lamented, gesturing to the small bloodstain that was seeping into the floor. Oh, boo-hoo, he'd spat his blood on it. Oh well... "Do you have any idea how long that will take to clean! Really Doggy-boy... How very inconsiderate..." A new card was procured from his pocket, Katsuya tensing in response as the CEO again gained a dark gleam in his eyes. The man's hair seemed to part to reveal the false one in his skull, bright gold shining in the light of the room. Shit. Blank card, question marks like the one on Seto's... Here it came. "It looks as though I'll just have to be rid of you now... Pity," he muttered, fingers tracing the card slightly before he looked back to his 'guest'. "I had been thinking of letting you leave in one piece..." Here it came... He swallowed, shutting his eyes and wincing as he waited for the 'inevitable'. The feeling of weakness that was already washing over him like a wet sheet, making it hard for him to breathe and for a moment, he frowned. This... He choked, shaking his head and staring at the ground with a frown.

 

This wasn't like when Bakura's 'other' just switched him over into a figurine, with the sudden black out he'd had. Where all he'd felt was a brief instant of some sort of pull, and then nothing. This was... Different. This... He coughed, collapsing on himself as one hand limply gripped the door knob at the side. This... "Gh... Hah... Kch! Hah... Hah..." What was this... Weary eyes looked up at Pegasus' hand, and he could see something slowly appearing. What the hell was this, was he just sort of pulling him in slow, like siphoning gas? "Hah... hah...Gkh..." What was... The blond closed his eyes, hand falling to his side as he continued to struggle for breath. This was it. He was dead now... Yugi... He'd better not lose that key damn it-

 

"Oh," Pegasus muttered in evident disappointment, Katsuya looking up through his exhaustion to glare at the man. The man's expression was visibly faded into honest depressed surprise, and at the sight he had to force a triumphant grin on his face. Hah... Yeah, that's right... "So you don't have it," the man continued with a frown, earning no more than a weak laugh from his soon to be captive. "You gave it to him... Hnhnhnhnhn... Such a surprise!" Yeah... Go ahead and laugh now, but he still 'won' this round... And thanks to earlier deals, Yugi was untouchable, so there! Hahahaha... Haha... hah...

 

Pegasus' voice continued to fade in and out, Katsuya breathing heavily as he continued to tire. Damn... This was taking an awful long time... What was taking so long...

 

' _Hey..._ ' Couldn't he just sleep and be over with.? Just close his eyes and wait until he hopefully woke up...

 

_'Hey..'_ And shit, he was even starting to hear voices again, wasn't the duel monsters stuff enough? Couldn't he just...

 

' _HEY!_ '

 

Eyes shot open from where they had closed, and with a loud bang Pegasus stumbled back from him. The again blank card fluttered to the ground, Katsuya hurriedly shuffling back with wide eyes and renewed strength as a misted figure erupted between he and Pegasus. ' _What the hell do you think you're doing Mutt!?_ ' a familiar voice screeched, target grabbing the lock-picks from the ground as his hand fumbled over them in his flight. Hands unconsciously gripping the picks he stared, eyes wide as the shouts continued. ' _DIDN'T YOU PROMISE ME?_ ' she roared, bright and hazed light blocking him from Pegasus as he continued to stare. ' _THAT YOU WOULD RETURN MY BROTHER UNHARMED!_ ' S-Se... Was this...

 

He pulled himself to his feet, back pressed against the door as the same legless form of the girl he'd seen in his 'dream' appeared before him. "W-What... What the hell..."

 

"My my," Pegasus was muttering, apparently recovering as the light receded to the 'ghost's form. "Isn't this interesting..?"

 

'Seto' turned, fixing the man with a glare before looking back at Katsuya. The light was intensifying again... But was it just him, or was it being pulled away from him... _'What are you waiting for,_ ' she growled, the blond tensing in response as the spectre continued to glare. _'I'm not letting you go back on your word MUTT!_ ' He continued to stare, before the light flared and a blinded shout of surprise came from the other in the room. Ack... His eyes! ' _GO!_ ' What the hell was this!

 

He turned to the door, thoughts racing as he gave up on lock-picking and slammed his arm down on the knob. One solid slam was all it took and the knob was snapped off, Katsuya pulling the lock from the door in a panic. He couldn't hear anything. Not Pegasus' mutterings of seeming amusement in the face of an angered shard of soul, not the shouts of the soul herself, nor the thundering footsteps from the right of the hall as he flung the door open and bolted. Nothing... Not even...

 

"YOU," came a guard's shout, Katsuya paying it no mind as he fled. Get out of there... That was all he could do, just get out of there... "GET BACK HERE!" Run... Run... He had to get out of here! In the back of his mind as he ran, he could see 'little Seto' staring down Pegasus... Eyes narrowed, a wry and vicious smirk on her face. Pegasus himself had long since recovered from the blinding light, and was now approaching the ghost with a legitimately curious expression in place. The smirk grew... And then...

 

" _Heh... Here's your last piece, Crawford..._ " More light.

 

Then nothing. Footsteps continued to thunder down the hall, and Katsuya shook the image from mind as he continued to barrel through the house. The blond's shoes skidded against the carpet as he turned a corner, the teen narrowly avoiding tripping over his own feet as the shoes laces slapped against his legs. Run... Keep running... Another corner was turned, and despite his fear the blond chanced a look back before smirking. Three very angry, and very large guards were about... Oh... 8-10 meters behind him? Hah! No big deal right? He'd been in situations like this befo-

 

_Bzwsh!_ -

 

_**CRACK-** _

 

He ducked, eyes wide as a vase directly to his left shattered to pieces. Feet skidded over shattered porcelain and waterlogged anemone flowers as he picked up speed, a few strands of hair falling to the ground behind him. Fuck... Oh _FUCK_ , they were firing at him! "Haaaahhh shit!" He stumbled as another bullet flew past his ear, turning another corner and tripping as a loose shoe managed to clatter to the ground behind him. Damn it, he'd gotten away from Pegasus and jumped right into something even worse! Turning yet another corner the blond continued to breath raggedly as shouts sounded behind him. Glass was stuck in his remaining shoe, and what slight shards stuck to the laces bit at his bare left foot. Still he ran, barely keeping from falling as he continued. He couldn't run much longer... He needed to find a spot to hide. Anywhere... Somewhere...

 

There.

 

How he knew there was an open door 'there' he didn't know, but as the door shut behind him he turned the lock and moved off to the center of the room. He'd only had a few seconds around that corner before the others would follow after, and the fact that this door was there... He turned his attention from the door he'd backed away from, staring. Two doors... There were two doors in this room, which was large and empty in an almost ballroom like fashion. Hell, knowing Pegasus it was a ballroom. A stage at one side, enormous and elaborate stained glass windows in the ceiling... He shook himself, looking back to the other door and moving toward it to open it. Like hell he knew why there were two doors in here but who cared if it got him away from the bullets? There wasn't any time to stare at the scenery... Those morons would probably realize he'd headed elsewhere once they hit a long stretch of hallway after all. Cautiously poking his head out, he glanced down both ends of what was apparently a dark and blocked off hall. Not a single light in there, save from whatever the comparatively well illuminated room behind him gave it. Ok... Ok... No one in sight.

 

He slowly walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him with a click. Alright. Calm down... He was somewhat in the clear now, somewhat in... It was completely dark in here now, the only thing allowing him to find his way around being his thankfully well honed night vision; night shift sure seemed to be coming in handy lately. "Hah... Hah... Hah... Hah..." Katsuya fell to his knees as he took a few steps into the hall, shaking his head as the events of the past few minutes caught up to him. "Hah... God..." Back in the room... What the hell was that! He was dying there... He was sure of it, he was sure... And then right when he'd been so sure it was the end...

 

The 'eye' from the night before came to mind, eerie voice echoing through his head. ' _There was a piece missing..._ ' He swallowed, fingering the lock picks that were still gripped in his hands and staring at the dark wall across from him. ' _Let me take it..._ ' He'd thought last night was a dream. He could have sworn. But back there, with Pegasus... He shook his head, picks hanging limply in his fingers as he attempted to figure out what happened. How the hell had all that happened? All he could hear now was 'Seto'... _'Didn't you promise?_ ' The lock picks were jammed back in his pockets, Katsuya standing up slowly and staring at the floor with a worried scowl. Yeah, he'd promised but what could he do? If he moved an inch in the wrong spot...

 

Lights out, thanks for trying. He bit his lip, shaking his head. Rephrase that... To hell if that wasn't worth the risk after all, but the fact was, if he didn't watch it... Fists clenched he felt his way down the hall, looking for another door as his arm moved above and around various flowers and vases lined along the sides. He needed to move, to get out of there. Pegasus knew he didn't have the key now, so he was probably on his way to duel Yugi by this point... Honda and Bakura had never showed up, which probably meant they were still looking for Mokuba and Kaiba... He couldn't just sit around and-

 

"Ow!" He hissed, pulling his hand back as his fingers brushed against a rather thorny set of plants on the side. Shit, what the hell kind of plant was that, a thistle? "Damn it..." Bleeding... He sucked his finger a moment, flicking it in the air in an attempt to east the sting. "Ow... Sssss... Shit, you'd think he'd get rid 'f th' thorns..." He held the bleeding finger under his arm for a moment, before moving out into the center of the tall and continuing on his way. Alright... Well, hopefully that thorn wasn't anything poisonous. He continued down the hall, steady and uneven thumping of socks and shoes pounding through his head before coming to the next door. Light was coming from under it. Quietly he opened the door a crack, and with a cautious look around the corner pulled back inside the dark hall instantly.

 

Shit! Someone was there. He only saw one but... He slowly poked his head back out, biting his lip as the guard stood across from him, back turned not two feet away. Looking elsewhere down the hall there was no one else. All the same this wasn't personal like with Saruwatari. Hell, how would he get out of this one at all? He pulled back inside, frowning. Something told him the other hall wouldn't be any different, if there even was another hall at the opposite end of this one... So how to get rid of this mook without getting a gun pulled on him then? He stared down at his mismatched feet, looking at his single shoe for a moment. Huh. How the hell was he going to get that shoe ba-

 

Katsuya blinked, before smirking. Hehehe... Here was an idea. He needed to get this guy out cold somehow didn't he? Katsuya poked his head back out the door, biting his lip as a loose plan came to mind. This guy would probably notice if he walked up behind him with a big ol' vase to knock him out after all. And there was no way he'd get him 'quietly' and in one shot from the back! But if he cut off any possible noise... Katsuya took off his other shoe, quietly placing it on the ground before taking his sock. Alright... First, make sure there weren't any shards of glass in there either, lest he cut the guy's throat. Much as he didn't want to lose his shoes, his jacket wouldn't really work for this... Too thick, and his cards and picks were in there. Knowing his luck, the picks would impale the guy's neck.

 

Besides, bare feet were quieter now that both his shoes were gone (How the hell would he replace those?)... He slowly pushed the door open, ignoring the slight creak as he approached the guard. Alright. The sock was gripped tightly in both his hands, the blond cautiously toeing over to where the guard was staring at a portrait. Closer... Closer...

 

The man before him tensed, as did the blond creeping behind him. Shit. "What the..." Oh fuck. The guard turned, Katsuya dropping the sock and charging the man in an instant.

 

"Hn!" Elbow slammed hard into the man's stomach, guard chocking at the sudden blow. Well, there went the quiet way. As the guard collapsed wheezing for air he continued to move, hurriedly slamming his palm up against the man's throat just as he began recovering. Wheezing breaths came through the air, and before the guard could react further Katsuya grabbed the man tightly around the neck to change his positioning to behind him. Swiftly the blond reached around the guard's side, feeling around for the weapons holster at his side. Come on, come on... Ahah! As the guard struggled, Katsuya pulled out the gun and grinned, holding it out and watching the man pale considerably. "Heh... I'll be takin' this," he said quietly, tightening his grip on the man in his arms. He gripped the gun firmly, adjusting his grip and moving to drag the man to the side, back into the dark hallway he'd left before. "Now then," he grunted, the guard currently holding stock still lest he get himself shot as his captor attempted to carry the man off into the dark. "Hold still f'r a moment," he continued, moving his second arm back to the man's head now that they were where he wanted to be. Pitch black, door mostly shut behind them... No one was coming in here, he decided, taking a seat on the ground with his arms still tightly wrapped around the guard's neck. "This'll only take a sec..." Much as he didn't want to knock someone out by strangulation...

 

This was pretty much his best bet for now. Better than smashing the guy's skull against the wall and bringing in more guards at least. The gun clattered to the ground as he tightened his grip, the guard abruptly bringing his hands up in a panic. Wheezing sounds coming out of the man's mouth became silent gasps for air, Katsuya forcing his eyes shut and turning away as he held his grip firm. Airway was cut off... For ten seconds...

 

Twenty seconds...

 

Forty... The man continued to scratch at his arms, Katsuya not moving despite the throes of strangulation the guard was going through.

 

120... 150... The struggling died down somewhat, becoming feeble slaps against the air but still his arms held firm. 200... 300... The movement stopped, and after a few more seconds he slowly let go and moved out from behind the man.

 

Hah... Hah... Ok... He swallowed, putting an ear to the guy's chest with a swallow. Sure he'd knocked him out, but... He bit his lip, wincing as he listened for a few moments... Please don't be dead, please don't be dead, please don't be-

 

"Hah... Ah... Hah..." The blond moved away as movement started up in the guard's lungs again, sighing in relief. Ahhh thank god for that...

 

Aside from Hirutani he wasn't a murderer. Now then. He swallowed, searching the man's suit for the radio before dumping it in a nearby vase and listening to a few feeble crackles. Turning to the door again, he quietly poked his head out with narrowed eyes. Time to get out of here. Back out in the hall there was no one. Looking back at the guard, he moved back to snatch the security card on the guy before heading out and shutting the door behind him. Never knew when the card would come in handy after all; lots of card-accessed doors in private places, so if anyone was behind that sort of door...

 

He shook himself, walking down the hall as light streamed through the windows at the side. Now that he was officially 'shoot on sight' material, he might as well figure out how to get things fixed. If Honda was looking, then why the hell shouldn't he? Hell, Bakura could be looking even... Katsuya looked around the hall, quietly stepping out in his bare feet and trailing his hand along the side of the wall. Silence. That guard was obviously the only one there, and thank god for that. But how long would that last? Again, he shook that thought off. He'd just have to keep an eye out. For now, his eyes had nothing to do but look around the hall.

 

The entire cream coloured hall was adorned with portraits, each one depicting either an unknown human being or simply a piece of western scenery that had been painted on a thick oil canvas. Lights from the ceiling came from small but otherwise immensely powerful 'mini-chandeliers', overpowered by the sunlight from the windows beside him, and against his feet the red plush carpet almost conformed to each footprint completely. Eyes narrowed as he slowly walked the hall, looking around in confusion before turning down to a path that was completely devoid of windows. This place... He frowned, hand trailing against the wall again as he walked. Why did it feel familiar... Fingertips brushed against a vase of flowers and he turned, frowning. Huh...

 

Were all these flowers some kind of 'map', a way for Pegasus to keep from getting lost in his own house..? Each hall had a different set from what he'd seen. For this one, vases of enormous blue hydrangeas filled the hallway, and as he looked at the large bundles had to pause his walk for a moment. These flowers... The smelled familiar, looked familiar too... But where had he seen them? Katsuya turned back down the hall, continuing his slow walk and shaking his head. Forget it. He had to continue with his 'job'. Much as he would like to go faster so that he didn't end up stopping for things like that, and he couldn't run either... Wanted to run of course, definitely wanted to run, but between all that went on earlier and what he'd just done to that guard he was exhausted.

 

He wanted to run but... Well, he just couldn't right now! Besides he assured himself, silently padding along the blood red carpet. If he bolted past a corner, what would happen if he was stuck dealing with another guard? That sure as hell would suck... Particularly since it would be likely that the guard would have the advantage that round. Hah... The lighting started to dim, a few lightbulbs flickering as he glared upward. Seriously? Come on, was Pegasus so cheap he crapped out on lighting too? Those bulbs shouldn't be doing that! The blond shook his head, turning around the corner to check for more people and continuing down on his way. Whatever...

 

Not like he should really expect much from this guy (Though he had to say, the steak and shrimp was a damn low blow.). If there wasn't any soap or food, why not cop out on lighting too? More silence passed around him. The vases beside him were filled with mixed flowers now, a collection of snapdragons and seemingly marbled roses. Red and white... Who the hell knew what colour they were in the darkness he decided, continuing down the hall. And damn it, why the hell did all this feel so familiar? The lights in the next hall were completely out, Katsuya not even bothering to check for a guard upon entering it. There was obviously no one in here after all. Guards weren't posted in dark hallways, only dark rooms; and even then, that was only if something in there was sleeping and still under a heavy need for protection.

 

Continuing into this hallway he found himself staring at the sides again as he walked. Vases of tulips lined the sides, and still he couldn't shake the feeling he'd been there before. Familiar... It was so familiar, he couldn't shake the feeling that he'd been here before! He couldn't have been here though... It was impossible! And what was with these flowers... Even in the dark he could tell that they came in all colours, reds, oranges, whites...

 

Yellows...

 

He tensed, freezing as he came to the end of the hall and turning away to face the 'exit'. Wait... This hall split into four here. But the flowers around him, he'd definitely seen them before! This wasn't just a 'feeling', he _knew_... Taking a hesitant step forward, he looked down the next hallway with wide eyes, taking a confident turn to the left and swallowing. These hallways...

 

Right down to his bare feet he dreamed this, after his duel with Seto! All of it! Which meant...

 

The next hall was roses.

 

He tore down the next hall, the blurred forms of rose filled vases passing his eyes as he charged. This hallway... There was something here, a panel wasn't there? A loose slat with a tunnel to a dungeon. So where-

 

Katsuya skidded to a stop, frowning as he turned to a nearby vase. He wasn't sure what made him stop. The burst of speed he'd hit, he shouldn't have been paying the side any mind, but something here... He moved closer to the vase, lifting one of the flowers up and frowning. The other ones were filled with roses, right to the brim with fully bloomed flowers that smelled strong and fresh. But this one... He didn't know what flower this was. It looked like the roses in a way, but looking close the petals were withering, falling... The center of the flower was different, same with the leaves and stems, and the scent differed completely. He grabbed the vase and pedestal without giving it anymore thought, heaving it away from the wall with a grunt. This was it. He didn't know how he knew, or how the hell he could get dreams like that but this was it...

 

"Ghn... Ghaaa..." The water sloshed in the vase as the pillar was dropped, and he stooped back down the examine the wall with narrowed eyes. Hands ran along the sides, feeling around for something, anything that was out of place on the otherwise smooth plaster. Though anything below the vases seemed uniform and flat, there was something here, something... "Come on," he muttered under his breath, giving a slight knock on the wall to check for a 'hollow point'. "Come on..." Knock knock... Ahah! Briefly his eyes widened, before a grin came on his face. "Yes!" A crack in the wall... And a spot where the 'thud' was a little more echoed! Fingers dug into the side, pulling tightly against the entrance with a loud creak. Bits of dust entered the air as it pulled out, Katsuya stumbling back slightly as the thick wood 'door' fell into his arms. Gh- He turned, head peering around the vases a moment in the darkness. Did anyone hear that? He swallowed, counting down as he held his grip on the plank of wood in his hands. Two seconds...

 

Four...

 

Six...

 

Ten... He sighed, silently laughing to himself. Hahaha... Ahhh... Good. Nothing.

 

Pulling the 'door' off to the side and setting it to rest against a nearby pedestal, he looked at the square entry way he'd found and bit his lip. As with the dream, it was small. He'd be ducking in before he could stand. Honestly, he didn't know what he expected to find in here. Given his 'dream' probably Mokuba but all the same Pegasus was the one who showed up in that dream, and that was just damn creepy to tell the truth. But Pegasus was dueling Yugi now so there was no telling what was in there, none at all. Nonetheless he steeled himself, crawling through the hole and trying not to pay mind to the cold stone under his feet. To the wet and musty wall he trailed his hand along for a moment, or the uneven ceiling his head scratched against as he moved.

 

The dungeon at least was lit. Thick wax candles hung along the walls, and the stagnant air was less smoke filled than he'd figure for an enclosed dungeon. There was probably a vent around there or something then, given the otherwise breathable air hanging around well melted candles... His hand hand trailed along the side of the rock and dirt walls, the blond looking around hesitantly in case there was anyone else 'awake' down there. He didn't see anyone so far. Nothing but empty cells as he walked, a few chains hanging under barred 'windows' in an enclosed room. His hand was now brushing against cold and rusted cage bars as opposed to rock now, but all the same the scenery was the same. Nothing but dirt, rock, cold air and-

 

He froze, coming to the end of the room and stopping in his tracks.

 

And that. "Holy shit..."

 

There they were, in the same 'end of the hall' prison cell as had been in his 'dream'. Arms held limp above their head by chains, head slumped over in silence as they sat almost on their knees. Dirt caked over skin and hair from the scummy ceiling and walls, and with wide eyes he stumbled over to grip the cell door for a closer look. Their clothes were covered in filth as well. Whoever had locked them in here wasn't too careful, probably even angry. Why even bother locking someone without a soul down here anyways, how could they run? Maybe he should have expected this... It didn't change his surprise that was for sure, but even so he felt he should have expected it. He should have...

 

And looking at the blank blue eyes that were staring toward his feet, frozen in the defeated position they'd been left in prior 'imprisonment' he found himself choking on his words.

 

"S... Seto-chan..?"

 


	22. Security

It was dark in the dungeon but not so dark that he couldn't see, like in the hall he'd dumped that guard's body in. After all there were candles lining the walls behind him, and in the case of the cells where he stood there was a small amount of sunlight pouring through the one side to illuminate the room. Katsuya stood in front of the cell door at the end of the hidden dungeon, staring in silence at the prone form of a normally proud and overly confident Seto Kaiba. Soulless eyes stared forward, strands of now damp hair falling across them, but with the light from the barred window behind her it looked almost like she was glowing despite all that. "S...Seto-chan..." No answer. Nothing but silence filled the air, and he continued to stare. "Se... ..." The blond swallowed, looking over the cell door as he fell silent. Locked in a cell.

 

She couldn't even move and she was locked in a cell... He shook his head, moving one of his hands to the lock on the door. He needed to hurry... Pegasus had to have cameras down here right? He pulled the lock picks from his pocket, moving to the lock and getting to work. Alright. One down, Mokuba to go, he could at least live with that couldn't he? He'd have to hurry it up though if he was going to keep hidden in this place while carrying Seto. The picks were slipped into the lock, quiet clicks coming over the now silent room as he worked. There'd been no response to her name. No response to anything at all. Briefly he paused, before biting his lip and continuing his work. It wasn't right...

 

It was one thing when he could tell himself she was only 'sleeping', hell he was almost never in the room back at the house when Seto's eyes were actually open but... Half lidded eyes continued to stare off blankly as he worked on the lock, and all in all it gave him the shivers. Even so he had to shake that off! He was almost through. One more move and...

 

- _clack_

 

The rusted iron gate swung open, and the blond hurried into the room to work on the shackles around Seto's wrists. The rusted door behind him swung slightly on its hinges as it moved back into place at a half opened angle, but really that didn't matter at the moment. Moving to search the shackles for a keyhole, the blond carefully picked up the metal brace to frown. "Sheesh..." He lifted the woman's clenched right fist, lips pursed as the limp hand abruptly slipped through the shackle. Katsuya tensed, catching the woman as she fell to one knee before hefting her up to pull the second wrist out. "You're way too skinny Seto-chan..." Not even the shackles fit? Man, what kind of prison was this... Was there even a point?

 

And of course, there was no answer to that question. He sighed, slowly adjusting his hold on the woman while replacing his lock picks in his pocket. Well, he'd gotten her out. Now how to carry her? ...Without ending up in an awkward situation at least? He bit his lip, before slipping one of her arms around his shoulder. There was always this method, though thanks to her damn height he couldn't just drag her around like that. Again the blond adjusted his grip, hesitantly moving the woman's body to his back before placing her second arm on his shoulder and hoisting her up until her head slumped above his shoulders. Alright... Piggy back worked. Kinda. Little awkward given she was taller than

him by about half a foot, but he could live with this.

 

He grunted, kicking the cell door open further than from where it sat now and walking through, a low creak sounding behind him as it shifted back into place. Nothing but empty cells and hanging shackles behind them... A few quick 'tosses' had Seto in a relatively 'safe' position on his back, and Katsuya didn't look back once as he came up the stairs he'd come down. Crawling through the door of the tunnel however he frowned, almost lying on his front as he wormed his way out of the small square door. " _Found Hiroshi in the ball-room hall_ ," someone muttered faintly in the distance, Katsuya freezing as a few English voices came from past the end of the hall. Oh hell. Someone was coming. " _Has a killer headache, they said he'll be off work for a few days at least_." The voices grew slightly louder, Katsuya backing away from the source with wide eyes. Shit. He'd have to be real quiet... Maybe if he was careful, they'd pass this hall by... "Y _ou think it was the kid we're looking for?_ " another was muttering, the subject of the conversation in question wishing he knew what the hell they were saying. Damn it... Even if he bothered paying attention in English he doubted he'd get what they were saying. " _I mean, he knocked Saruwatari for a new one didn't he?_ " Saruwatari? Were they talking about when he fought Saruwatari? He continued to back away, feet quietly padding along the ground in silence. Definitely needed to get out of here then... Definitely... " _Yeah but Saruwatari is-_ "

 

- _CRASH!_ -

 

Katsuya turned, eyes shooting open as the vase of 'not-roses' he'd moved to the side beforehand clattered to the ground. A mess of water and porcelain littered the floor around him, cut flowers sitting among the pieces like a warning sign of the inevitable. Shit...

 

Shit! " _What the hell?_ " the voices were saying, Katsuya turning to watch as a few beams from a flashlight began peeking around the corner. " _What the hell was that?_ " Shit. He bolted in the opposite direction, glass slicing at his bare feet as he charged down the hall. Ow... Ow ow ow! Blood dotted the ground as he ran, mostly hopping on his toes as he got out of the small 'mine field' to continue running. The shouts from behind grew louder as the blond ducked down another hall, gritting his teeth as he ran. Damn it damn it damn it, couldn't he just catch a break this time! Seto's limp form was on his back, head slumped over his shoulder, and her coat was flapping in an arc behind them as his bloodied footprints slapped across the ground. Ouch...

 

Ouch ouch ouch this hurt like hell, but if he didn't keep running it'd be a lot worse! Shouts had again faded as he turned another corner, Katsuya chancing a look back as footsteps continued to sound through the air. No one behind him, just dim flashlight beams from the devices that the guards hadn't bothered to turn off in the lit hallways between 'here and there'. He turned back ahead, picking up speed with ragged breaths as the carpet fibres continued to dig into his skin. Another corner turned. And another, and another... He slowed, turning the next one to a dark hall and glancing back around as he ignored the sting on his no longer bleeding feet. The guards took the left turn as opposed to the right. The footsteps in the distance faded, and he smirked, turning back to look over the hall he was in. Phew. He'd avoided them this time around. Now...

 

He stared at a vase of iris' at the side, frowning as the sunlight from nearby windows fell over himself and the woman on his back. Where to go now. These flowers made a map of 'some sort', but he'd gone down and up a few staircases in his run as well. He was probably on the third floor now, so there was no way in hell he'd be able to put what he remembered of the flowers to use right now. Turning away from the vase to start walking again he found himself staring up at the ceiling before turning his attention to the individual paintings along the wall. Lots of scenes of what was probably Europe... A fair number depicting Egypt though, he noted with raised eyebrows. Well. This millennium item crap sure had a bad habit of heading back there didn't it? He adjusted the weight on his back, continuing through the hall before turning a corner to a far better lit path.

 

It was a single, straight forward hallway. He could turn on one end or the other, but if there were any doorways here he didn't see them. Instead, there was nothing but a series of portraits on the wall, all similar in appearance to the two he'd seen the night before in Pegasus' dining room. Most were just as the name stated of course. Portraits, of a young blond woman. However a good number of them depicted scenes and events as well, and walking down the hall he found himself silently staring at them as though it were a timeline of sorts. Faceless people without identity sat in them, people whose faces never once registered with a living person in his mind. Nonetheless the entire length of the hall appeared to be filled with the pictures. There was one depicting two young children meeting at what looked to be a ball; a small boy with grey hair, standing across from a slightly smaller blond girl; another of those same children on the beach; still another in a garden...

 

'Time' passed in the portraits, moving further as the 'boy with grey hair' was identified as 'Pegasus' much to Katsuya's distaste. Even so, the paintings kept coming. A picnic, a tree swing... "Lil' obsessive," he muttered, continuing down the hall as he came near the end. Abruptly he froze, stopping in place as a sudden chill raced down his spine. There was no one around him in the lit hallway of course, nothing but the portraits; he'd have known by now after all, he had no where to run! Even so... Somehow, it felt as though someone had just...

 

Died. No warning, no reason...

 

They were just gone. "What the hell," he whispered, frozen in place as the feeling intensified before fading away just as quickly as it appeared. "What was that?" His eyes were even watering. Hell this feeling was worse than when Mokuba was taken, when Yugi was being strangled in the warehouse, or even when Honda had just told everyone to move on ahead of them in Death-T. But why the hell did that feeling even happen, all he was looking at here pictures of two happy, playing kids, and while he'd admit that the fact that it was Pegasus and some lady was creepy...

 

He took a slow breath, moving down the hall yet again as the portraits continued to fill the side. Was it just the painting itself, or was the woman looking a little paler? They looked otherwise cheery of course, but something seemed off. The frown on his face deepened, before plummeting with silent surprise as he came to the last portrait in the hall. At first glance it seemed normal. The woman sat slightly slumped in a bed, blanket pulled up to her armpits as she turned toward whoever was painting at the time. A vase of bunched up, almost pin-prick sized flowers sat on the sidetable, and the curtain beside the woman was drawn back to coat the room in a calm ray of sunlight. But something was wrong here. Hidden by the numerous flowers alongside the woman was a monitor of sorts, with cables that fed into the bedside. Looking closely at the woman's wrist there was a 'bracelet' of gauze, where the cables, tubes really, were retreating. There was a chart at the end of the bed... And as he looked close he realized that the hair the woman had now was faded in colour, lacking the sheen of the many pictures back. Her skin was pale and sallow, and the woman's eyes were barely held open for all the weakness there was there. This woman...

 

Was the same woman who had been depicted in the dining room. ' _After all_ ,' Pegasus had told him back in the other room, an oddly depressed gleam in his eye as opposed to his normally eerie stare. ' _I myself have someone I would do the same for..._ ' Oh god... For all the asshole Pegasus was...

 

There were no more portraits after that one, just the end of the hall as it turned into another one. His wide eyes closed slightly, and he bowed his head as he turned from the painting. Guess Pegasus wasn't as full of it as he thought. Didn't excuse him worth shit but... He shifted his feet, the numb sting against the cuts only slightly registering in the back of his mind despite the intensity. Those two were dueling right now he bet, Pegasus and Yugi. Two spirits sharing a body, versus the owner of a creepy eye. He turned down through the hall that the current one split into, lights completely missing from the path as he moved into the darkness. How was he doing right now? Against that eye nothing would be hidden after all, not for long. How was he making out? The blond stared at the ground as he walked slowly, silent as he thought about the duel he wasn't seeing. He couldn't be there to watch. His best friend was fighting with his soul, both souls on the line, and he couldn't even watch. He wanted to be there though he thought as his vision began to blur, steps slowing. He wanted...

 

Face first he lay on the ground with those thoughts, eyes closed in a peaceful sleep as the body atop him shut her eyes as well.

 

* * *

 

Where was this place?

 

The first thing he felt was a numbing loss of pain, the sudden absence of it almost jarring him completely. Eyes slowly opened as he overcame his 'drowsiness' and looked around, seeing nothing but darkness. Yet it wasn't cold, he decided with slight surprise. Unlike any other time he'd been tossed into darkness, it wasn't the slightest bit cold in anyway. In fact he noted as he looked himself over, he wasn't even injured. His feet were perfectly fine, even without socks and shoes to cover them. It was no wonder the pain was gone, but even so he looked back up, eyes wide with confusion as he took a few steps forward. There was nothing. Just nothing... "Where..."

 

"Heh." Katsuya turned, jumping as he came face to face with Honda. What the... He stumbled back slightly, eyes taking in the sight of his friends all crowding what looked to be an enormous blank tablet. "Took you long enough!" As the blond stared the others behind him nodded, small smiles on their faces as they held their place. Bakura... Anzu... Wait, was that-

 

He moved past Honda, blinking at the sight of Yugi's limp form in Anzu's grip. "What th'... What happened..." Bakura sighed, following the blond's gaze to the injured boy. His face was red and still scabbing from the injury the night before, and despite there not being any dirt in the area, he still looked as though he'd been dragged behind a horse on the ground.

 

"Yugi was..." He swallowed, turning back to Katsuya with a slight frown. "During the duel, they found a way to beat Pegasus' mind scan... By switching places with each other..."

 

At the side Anzu nodded, a sad smile on her face as she continued to explain. "They beat Pegasus' toon world with it," she said, adjusting her careful grip on Yugi. The boy didn't move an inch in response, continuing his silent and labored breathing in response. "You should have seen it," Anzu was whispering, looking back down at the one in her arms. "In one shot, the duel was almost completely turned around..." Completely? Hah... That sounded like him!

 

But where was this? Endless blackness surrounding a single stone tablet, still others behind it... He continued to stare, silent as the others did the same in an almost awkward manner. Darkness, and a slight pulsing feeling of what was possibly despair. Finally however there was a voice from behind, echoing clearly through the air. "Isn't it obvious?" came the childish voice he'd heard the night before, the others turning with raised eyebrows to the sight of what looked to be a small girl in a patterned vest and shirt. "If you don't know where, or how," 'Seto' continued, hands in her faded and 'leg-less' pockets, "Then it's not yours to know!" Not theirs to-

 

Wait... Was this the 'other Yugi's mind? "What..?" He frowned, the others as well staring in silence. Pretty good idea why that was of course. No one knew 'little Seto', and if they did it'd get a little awkward. Moreover, unlike the last time he saw her she looked even... Younger. Hell, more like a girl than he could ever remember, especially compared to the night before. "Well then how'd we get here?" he asked the girl, only receiving a shrug in response.

 

Anzu spoke up, still sitting as the others 'hovered' around in the darkness. Her expression of confusion had quickly shifted into complete confidence, and she turned to Katsuya with a curt nod. "We wanted to help Yugi," she said frankly, eyes serious as the others nodded in agreement. "So I prayed, more than anything that somehow I could help... And suddenly, I was in here," she gestured, looking around a few moments before turning back to the others.

 

"And you know me," Honda said from the side, smirking as Katsuya's attention was drawn to the teen. "I couldn't be left out of something like that..."

 

Bakura nodded, giving a small smile as he held his hands behind his back. "If I can help... I'll do all I can! After all, Yugi's done a lot for us..." He continued to stare as the albino trailed off, watching as 'Seto' moved over to the side of the group and 'sat'.

 

"Guys..." So wait... They were all there just because they wanted to be? ...Well, those had been his last conscious thoughts himself come to think. But how did that even work? How did... Ahhh whatever. He shook his head, pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind before grinning. "Hah! You can count me in then!"

 

The others broke into grins as well, before Seto's voice came from the side to pull their attention. "If you want to help," she stated plainly, an unamused look on her face as she crossed her arms, "Then you should probably hurry..." Her voice was fading. Katsuya stared, eyes wide as bits of the girl began to fade out of existence. Her legs weren't the only thing gone. There was almost nothing left as the darkness ate away at her torso, save her arms and anything above her shoulders. And yet wry smirk was on her face as she continued to dissolve, crossing her arms with a snort. " _Better not fail_ ," she whispered as her arms vanished, head finally following after as she closed her eyes. Gone...

 

She was gone. And in her place far in the distance, a darkness could be seen. And endless darkness, with a single gold speck in the center, the sclera devoid of the gold it had held the night before. "Oh fuck," he muttered, the others looking past him with frowns as the darkness increased. The hell was this thing, a storm? Some kind of creepy manifestation of Pegasus' eye? "Not this thing..." Large and imposing the eye began to appear before them, slowly opening its eye as it approached.

 

The others shook slightly for a moment as shadowed arms began to reach forward, Honda turning to Katsuya with a frown. "'This thing'?" he asked incredulously, eyebrows raised. "What do you mean, ' _this thing_ '? You've seen this before? What the hell is it?" The blond narrowed his eyes, clenching his fists as the eye approached. Last time... He'd jumped through the thing, and he'd managed to escape it. Before that though, he'd stopped it somehow hadn't he? Rendered it nothing but a floating eye with small mists of shadows on the back. What was this thing?

 

Hell if he knew. "'xactly what I said," Katsuya muttered, staring down the eye with a growl. "'That thing'! You have any other words for it?" The eye began to move closer, met with scowls from Anzu and Bakura, as well as a light frown from Bakura to the side.

 

"No," Honda was muttering, crossing his arms as the thing approached. Scary as the thing was, they couldn't budge... They wouldn't budge! "No I can't say I do..." And he had an idea of how to get rid of it this time. The eye before them loomed, narrowing at the sight of Katsuya's form. Heh. Recognize him?

 

' _You again_ ,' it muttered darkly, the blond merely smirking in response. Yeah... Him. The others continued to frown, ignoring the statement for the sake of dealing with the 'main problem' for the moment as the eye continued. _'Move aside,'_ it demanded, shadowed arms waving about them in an eerie mimicry of a flickering flame. ' _I've come to observe only... Not take, as with last time. Surely you can be satisfied with that?_ '

 

He smirked, before dropping the expression into a dark frown as the others behind him looked to the blond with wide eyes. "Hah! Yeah right," he growled, moving slightly forward as the shadows retreated from the teen. They probably figured that meant Pegasus used his eye on him... Probably better than explaining everything else really. Even so... "Don't y' even think abou' gettin' through Yugi's mind," he shouted, the eye retreating with a narrowed glare. "Get outta here!"

 

As the others behind him nodded the eye continued to narrow, almost growling in response. ' _You dare to think that a mere command will deter my purpose?_ ' he shouted, Katsuya narrowing his eyes further.

 

"No," he said with a smirk, cracking his knuckles. "I think that jus' sittin' here, keepin' yah from doin' anything outta do th' trick!" For a moment, the eye looked as though it were about to chuckle. In fact, after staring downward incredulously it did begin to laugh, a quiet nearly inaudible sound that grew into a loud and echoing cackle.

 

' _Hahahaha... HAHAHAHAHAHA! You actually believe such a thing,'_ it roared, growing even wider before the group as its hands reached forward. A few were moving to grab at the others, each target moving back against them. Katsuya held silent as the eye continued, merely staring it down. He'd done this before. Somehow, he'd done this before. If he just pulled up that same feeling... ' _FOOLS_ ,' the eye shouted with a laugh, rolling back in mirth before turning back on the teens below. ' _It's almost enough to make me pity your pathetic souls! Very well_ ,' he continued, seemingly widening into a 'grin'. ' _Say good-bye to your bodies in the mortal realm..._ '

 

There.

 

Katsuya's eyes snapped open, and he looked upward as the eye began to grab him. Amid the feeling he'd reclaimed there was a wash of weakness and fatigue over him but just as quickly as it began the eye widened in what could possibly be fear. "I don' think so," the blond growled, a low earth-quake-like sound beginning to fill the room. Sounds of rumbling began to increase in volume, and as with the room 'Seto' had been in the night before the 'darkness' began to crumble. Cracks appeared in the very sky and ground, Katsuya's fists clenching and tightening as the cracks widened with an echoing boom. Blocks of the eye's 'form' eroded away into dust, the hands pulling away as Katsuya and the others stood firm in defense against the monster. He was dropped to the ground, still staring the beast in the 'eye' as it looked around frantically.

 

' _You... Again!_ ' the eye howled, black and empty eye wide with rage. It whirled back on the blond, the shadows around them continuing to pull into its form as it became the same shade as it had in the 'dream' before. ' _How are you doing this! How is this even possible..! Ngk... STOP THIS!_ ' Katsuya merely smirked, watching as the eye's 'rim' began to twist and bend before them. Honda, Anzu, and Bakura... All three of them were fixing the eye with a similar glare, their own grit determination fending the beast off. They weren't moving. Not really, but all the same this was a battle. A battle they could not lose! And with those thoughts in mind they watched the rim of gold evaporate completely, the remaining shadows turning on the gold 'iris' in a frenzy. Within seconds, the darkness was gone...

 

Reduced to nothing but a small golden disk that clattered to the ground before fading out of existence with a moan. "Heh... Figure out yerself," he muttered, before turning back to the others. The eye was gone. The others shared a look with him before turning back to the boy whose mind they were currently sitting in. Yugi was still mostly out of it- but he wasn't completely gone. As though in reaction to the 'eye' disappearing his eyes were opening slightly, a quiet and inaudible mumble coming through the air. Yugi... "He alright?" he asked, deciding against trying to wrap his head around them all being in 'Yugi's Head' with the boy inside it at the same time. He took a few nervous steps toward them, choking slightly on his words. "W...Will he..."

 

Before Anzu could answer with more than a nod, still another voice came over the air, the others turning upward. " _You guys..._ " The... Other Yugi? A feeling of elation washed over the group from above, the voice of their friend continuing on. " _You stopped him from..._ " From reading his mind? Heh!

 

Anzu grinned, turning briefly to Yugi before looking back up. "Yugi..!" The grin softened into a smile, and she continued as the others 'looked' toward their friend with similar expressions. "Yugi... Your other self is fine ok?" The others watched as Yugi himself gave a small smile, looking to the others with partially closed and nonetheless hopefilled eyes. "Don't worry about this," she continued, Honda nodding in agreement as the boy behind them attempted to pull himself up.

 

"We're right by your side man," he shouted, arms still crossed as he leaned on thin air before Katsuya joined in.

 

"Yeah! We got your back... Er, yer head," he corrected with a slight laugh. Back, head, what the hell

ever. Even so, that eye was still going to come back, wasn't it... "You jus' focus on beatin' Pegasus, y'hear?" There was little hesitation after those words, and had he been watching he decided that Yugi would have given a determined nod. A set and steady look of determination as he stared his opponent down, moving on with his fight.

 

" _Right,_ " he shouted, the dark room filling with a pale and glowing light in response to the mood. " _Thank you... All of you_!" He nodded, expression once again serious. They couldn't see the eye right now, but he had no doubts it was still out there.

 

He doubted he could really kill it. "Yugi," he said, turning to the 'real' one with a set nod. The boy in question stared back with a slight frown, listening as his friend continued "As long as we're here, we won' let Pegasus read yer mind alright, same with th' other you... So don't y' worry about a thing alrigh'?" Shadows began to appear again, and before anyone could respond to that they ended up turning back toward the appearing eye.

 

"Great," Honda muttered, rolling his eyes at the sight. "This going to be the same as last time," he asked, arms still crossed. The shadow began to weakly develop in the back, the teen stepping forward as a smirk came over his face.

 

"Hah! Give your best shot," he challenged, Katsuya glaring at the 'spot' as it came near. This would be just like last time! They'd get rid of it, Pegasus would get slammed back...

 

The shadow across from them merely snorted as it developed, rolling itself before fixing the group with a glare. ' _Oh please,_ ' it muttered, shadowed arms waving as they held a safe distance from the group. Weird... Was it just him, or did it seem different? ' _I don't need to take these thoughts in order for my task to be fulfilled..._ ' What? What the hell did he mean, what was it doing? ' _I'm more than content with just taking you with me this time around..._ ' Katsuya narrowed his eyes, gritting his teeth. Taking them with him? What the hell was that supposed to mean? They weren't going anywhere, they could easily beat- _'Don't think that your little trick will work again,_ ' the eye growled, arms and shadows around him abruptly snapping to the ground as the 'center of the beast' rose high above them. _'Fool me twice and shame on me... But a third opportunity is nigh impossible for mere children like you!_ ' Impossible? Hah! Like that would-

 

He froze, tensing as a wave of shock washed over the room. This place was keyed into the other Yugi's head wasn't it? So then... This last wave meant... "No..." The group looked upwards, toward where they had heard his voice as the mood shifted into despair yet again. Something had happened... Something had... "Yugi!" they shouted, the 'original' beside them slowly standing up with haggard breaths.

 

"H...Hnn..." They turned, watching as the boy pulled himself up with a cough. No... He wasn't in any shape to stand up right now, they couldn't. "Gkh..." He choked, stumbling forward with weary eyes as he looked to his friends. "G...Guys?" ...He wasn't backing down either though.

 

He smiled slightly, moving to catch the boy as he began to fall again. "Hah... Yugi," he said, helping the boy up to his feet yet again. How could he expect him to, that wasn't Yugi after all... "You alright?"

 

The boy nodded, before turning to look at the enormous eye before them with a frown. "Y-Yeah..." He swallowed looking at the others in silence a moment. Hah... Yeah, seeing them all there must have been one hell of a shock right? "...How did you all get here?" Anzu gave a small shrug, Honda merely shaking his head.

 

"Not completely sure," he said, the light in the room beginning to pick up again despite the dark eye hovering there. Their voices were weak... Hell he was feeling weak too... What was this? "Just wanted to come here... And here we were..."

 

"You..." Was this the eye? Yugi blinked, before smiling at his friends despite what was likely happening around him now. "Thank you," he whispered, before turning to the enormous eye before them. In the silence that resulted, it was plainly obvious that he knew what it was. What it was doing to them... How was it even doing that anyways? Pulling them away when it had been dispatched so easily before? "...And you," the boy said confidently, voice appearing stronger than he had ever heard before. The eye moved in, 'face to face' so to speak with the boy as the others found themselves standing stiff in response. They weren't going to leave... They couldn't leave, not in the face of even this! They stood close behind the boy, at the side of their friend as he continued. "Get out of my head," he ordered, eyes narrowed as the shadows continued to whittle away at them. "NOW!"

 

A flash of light filled the room, the others throwing their arms above their eyes in response. Gh... What... This didn't happen before! All that happened last time was the darkness rebounding on the eye, before it disappeared. But this time... Looking past the blinding light he stared, watching as the eye literally began to dissolve before them, splitting and cracking into fragments before their eyes. And somehow, Yugi was the source...

 

' _HOW_ ,' it screeched, pained cries far more horrified and rage filled than they had been earlier on. ' _HOW CAN YOU DO THIS! HOW! HOW!_ ' Because it was Yugi's head. That was the conclusion he came to in the blinding, seemingly nonexistent fight. The eye was widening beyond its possible proportions, and rather than the shadows retreating they simply vanished completely. Like 'Seto' had said... If they couldn't figure out how to get out, then it wasn't their head. But if it was Yugi's head, then... Heh. He never liked fighting but... It looked like he'd really saved their asses, hadn't he?

 

So bright...

 

_'Pegasus,_ ' he heard Yugi say, Katsuya closing his eyes against the force of the light. He was moving again. Drifting away... Was it all over then? The eye gone? ' _We win...'_ Opening his eyes again, he watched numbly as the others as well started to fade away, both 'Yugi's standing before them. The light had faded into nothing but background, and though he couldn't hear much what he saw told him all he needed to know. The 'original' was talking to his other half, giving them all a thankful smile... ' _We all helped,_ ' Yugi was saying. ' _Everyone..._ '

 

"Heh..." He smirked, giving one last thumbs up before fading out completely. They won. And now...

 

It was time to wake up.

 

* * *

 

"HAH!" Katsuya's eyes flung open, the teen giving a sudden jolt as he woke up. Eyes wide he swallowed, breathing rapid as he stared at the wall to the side. Pedestal. There was a pedestal across from him, and on his shoulder there was an arm in a deep purple sleeve... Hey, was this thing patterned? He shook it off, wincing as the pain of his previous injuries came back to him at full force. "H-Hah... Hah... Gh-Ungh..." Owwww...

 

His face... Not to mention most of his torso... He fell on the ground hard damn it... The blond shook himself, pulling himself up with Seto while making sure her arms didn't fall off to the side. A little awkward sitting up without using his arms but all the same he thought, wincing as the soles of his shredded feet touched the carpet again, at least she didn't end up falling as a result of not doing it. He turned to the woman, Seto's head still limp on his shoulder with now closed eyes. "...Seto-chan," he whispered, frowning. Any time now. She'd wake up anytime now, to yell at him for calling her this... "...Seto-chan?" No answer...

 

Not even a twitch. Just closed eyes and steady breathing, the same as before. He bit his lip, turning his head back to the ground as he shook. Still not waking up. Damn it... But he'd won hadn't he? Yugi had won, both against Pegasus and even against the eye itself if he was right! He'd won hadn't he? He'd...

 

"Found you," a voice called from behind him, Katsuya's eyes opening instantly at the sound. That voice... He swallowed, turning with wide eyes as he made to adjust his hold on Seto. Saruwatari. Looked like he'd avoided the hospital bed huh. He stepped back, watching as the man slowly moved to pull his gun from the side and aim it toward him. Shit. Of all the times... Low chuckling filled the air, the guard's finger pulling back the safety as he spoke. "Pegasus-sama should be pleased to hear that we've finally tracked you down..." The man had a dark smirk in place as he stared the teens down, second hand reaching for his radio as he allowed his words to sink in. Looked like the message hadn't quite gotten out yet huh. What to do...

 

There was nothing but vases at the side, vases filled with more flowers. And across from him, with a gun pointed toward where Seto's head lay... He tensed, watching as the man before him looked down to his radio. One look down was all he needed. Eyes switched over to a vase at the side, the bouquet of orange lilies sitting innocently in place. One hand was all it took, despite the weight of the object in question. He grabbed the vase, gripping it tightly by the handle and lobbing it forward as Saruwatari looked up.

 

One throw was all he needed. "What the-!"

 

After that it was all instinct after all. In the same instant the shout was made Katsuya hurriedly rushed back down the hall, shifting Seto's body to his front in an attempt to somewhat prevent any bullets from striking her. She'd never forgive him for this if she found out... But hell, she probably wasn't the forgiving type anyways. The sound of gunshot against the vase and the wall ahead of him forced him to charge down the hall to the side as he ducked, arms tightly clasped around the dead weight in his arms. Run. Put as much space between himself and the guard as possible, just run! Saruwatari was quick to catch up despite the porcelain 'bomb' he'd tossed, coming behind him with a roar of anger and another shot that ricocheted off the side of a stair railing.

 

The only thing between him and the shot was a last minute turn around the corner- there would be no relying on crap aim this time! Shit. He picked up the speed, the man behind him halting his chase to take aim as he came to a flat space on the stairs. Shit... He had to get down the next flight at least, just the next flight... Shi-

 

_Phst!-_

 

"G-"

 

Something hit his head.

 

He'd heard the sound of a bullet as he charged down the stairs, and something hit his head, grazing him on the right side. Katsuya tripped on the next stair, senses briefly growing numb as he tumbled forward. Falling on the dark staircase, blood fell to the ground in his wake. He felt something wet on the side of his head, but the blood couldn't be from him or Seto could it? Nose hit the stairs first as he attempted to turn, dull thoughts reminding him to at least keep the body in his arms from falling to her death. He'd been on the third floor when he ran, the second when he was shot...

 

Over and over they rolled down the stairs, falling off the path to a separate case as shouts continued behind him. Round and round... Wasn't the staircase supposed to be straight?

 

So dark... He closed his eyes for a moment, holding the unconscious woman in his arms close as they continued to tumble down the steps. It didn't hurt, it didn't...

 

Finally it stopped. After flipping off at least eight or so steps it stopped, ending with his back and head landing on the ground in a partially limp collapse. It didn't hurt. It didn't...

 

The last thing he saw before he blacked out, eyes open just slightly as he looked around, was Seto's face... Coloured lights from above streaming down on her silent and still unwaking form. She wasn't bleeding though. That was good... He'd done at least that, so Mokuba would be able to see her again wouldn't he?

 

...The lights... They were fading...

 

His eyes began to close over, his grip loosening around Seto's body as his head tilted to the side. Dark...

 

...It was... _Dark_...

 

... .

 


	23. Interregnum

"Gnnh..." Where the hell was she?

 

The last thing she remembered she was sitting at a table, staring down the man across from her as his 'Bikuribox' destroyed her only defense monster. That, and hearing her brother again...

 

And then suddenly she was somewhere dark and cold, and endlessly painful in a way she couldn't describe. Yet at the end of it all, someone had grabbed her by the hand. Someone with white hair...

 

"Ng..." Seto groaned, something brushing against her face as her eyes opened. What was that, a bunch of straw? ...No, it was different. Fingers brushed against cold marble, and her eyebrows furrowed slightly at the touch. She was laying on something. Something soft... The woman mentally shook herself, eyes blearily taking in the side of the room she was in. Where was she? Blank sunlit walls were all she saw across from her, but the light shining on it was coloured in enough shades of the rainbow to have her frowning in slight confusion. Strange lights. This pattern... Stained glass? But if it wasn't from the walls, then that would mean the ceiling. And the only room in Pegasus' castle that looked like that was... She continued frowning, mouth held slightly opened as her eyes moved to to look at what she was laying on. "Gh..." Wait.

 

She frowned, a collection of 'gold' meeting her eyes before she shook her head. Something rough brushed against her cheek, and as she lifted her head slightly she continued to frown. Looked almost like the mutt's hair. But why... She groaned, moving her hands up to pull herself up before freezing. Wet. Something was... She looked down, eyes widening. She wasn't sitting on something, she was sitting on some _one_. What the h- What was Jonouchi doing here?

 

...Scratch that, why the hell was she on top of him? ...Why did she _wake up_ on top of-

 

She grit her teeth, pulling herself to her feet with narrowed eyes and taking a step back from the blond. There was a small but very much bloodied patch on the side of his head. The blood from it had dripped down the side to gather near his neck but given his moving chest he was obviously still alive, and no longer bleeding if the slight mat in his hair was any sign. Tch... And now there was blood on her hands. It figured that moving her hand to get up would put it right in the puddle by this moron's neck... She shook her hand free of the blood, snorting. She wasn't about to wipe her hand on her jacket. Wiping blood from a duralumin case was one thing, getting it out of her jacket was another. Well...

 

At least she wasn't in some prison, though as to how that had happened... She shook it from mind, deciding not to give it much thought for the moment. She was awake. Obviously someone had put Pegasus in his place; it would only take one guess as to who. The woman brought her hands back to her sides, turning away from the unconscious teen before her and moving toward one of the doors with shaking breaths. The light coming through the ceiling was strong, strong enough to almost completely illuminate the room so it was likely only early afternoon. It'd been the early evening when she fought Pegasus though. She continued walking, turning her eyes back from the ornate windows above and steeling herself. She was still tired. Couldn't see very well either, but that didn't matter. It didn't...

 

If she was awake, she could at least put herself to good use after all. Mokuba was around here somewhere wasn't he? She had to find him... She stumbled slightly as something pulled at her coat, eyes widening briefly before narrowing to aggravated slits. "Gh... I'm not in the mood Mutt," she growled as she turned, fully expecting to see the idiot blond that had been unconscious only moments before. Instead however, her eyes quickly widened again, the coat having been let go from the grip of the small girl before her. "...Impossible," she muttered hoarsely, the familiar guise she had taken years before staring up at her with wide eyes. Neatly trimmed hair in a style that had been relatively common at the time, or so Gozaburo had said the day she and Mokuba were taken in. The vest and shirt she'd worn the drive to the house... "You're..." It was...

 

Her. But how... The spirit pointed back to the blond laying on the ground, expression resembling almost a pout as it's larger counterpart frowned. Oh come on... This couldn't seriously be happening could it? What did it want her to do, get a doctor? She frowned, eyes still wide as she watched the spirit float over to the body and attempt to move it. Strange. Keeping true to 'ghostly nature' it was floating, but it had perfectly useful legs... The spirit knelt down beside the body on the floor, reaching out with a frown. Tiny hands passed right through the teen however, and Seto continued to stare as the shade turned back with a frown. It couldn't speak. It was completely silent, but all the same she could easily put a voice to the words it appeared to say. ' _Taskete_ ,' the spirit mouthed, the woman's frown deepening with confusion. The hand held at the side sunk through Jonouchi's arm, and the spirit stood to turn its attention to Seto completely. ' _Taskete..._ '

 

"Tch..." She grit her teeth, moving toward the blond on the ground as the 'spirit' stepped aside. Help? Why should she even bother? And this ghost. Smiling like an idiot at her side as she stood there...

What was this ghost beside her, some sort of hallucination?

 

...Or was it something else...

 

Seto turned away from the 'ghost' and stared at the body, before rolling her eyes and stooping down to shake the blond's shoulder. Damn it... She might as well wake the moron up she supposed. "Hey," she muttered, eyes narrowed. The blood on the blond's left cheek had long since dried up, leaving nothing but a red trail. As for the other side... Well, it was stuck in a puddle, so she could guess. Seto continued to shake the blond's shoulder, glaring as she continued to receive no answer. "HEY!" she growled, shaking the blond harder as a groan came over the air. "Wake up!" He stirred slightly, wincing as he pulled his head back.

 

"Ghnn..." Good... Awake. ...Mostly.

 

The woman sighed exasperantly, pulling the blond up by the shoulder as Jonouchi in question gave a rough yelp of surprise. Lets get this over and done with so she could get her brother and leave. "Get up," she demanded flatly, roughly releasing the arm only to find herself catching her 'security guard' as he stumbled forward. Oh come on, he couldn't even stand on his own? "Tch..." She sneered, her slightly bloodied hand leaving red smudges on the blond's white shirt as she pushed him back up on his feet. "Honestly, how pathetic are you that you can't even walk on your own two legs?"

 

Jonouchi merely laughed as he came further toward consciousness, shaking his head as he threw an arm around his 'boss's shoulder. Gh-! Don't touch h- ...Damn it, fine, not like he could move otherwise. "Hahaha..." He coughed, stumbling slightly as the woman sneered with evident distaste. That did not mean she would do more than barely tolerate this. "Ev'n if I can't," he muttered, turning his head toward Seto with a weak grin as the woman's frown shifted, "Least I'm still doin' what I promised righ'?" Promise... _'No matter what,_ ' she remembered someone saying in the distance. ' _I'll bring 'im back! It's a promise_!'

 

...A promise...

 

"...Hn!" She smirked, shifting her arms around the blond and turning to the door. So that was why a moron like this had attempted to come here. Made it farther than expected too, she'd give him that. She moved the bloodied hand to Jonouchi's arm, adjusting the weight on her shoulder as he attempted to stand straight. "I suppose that's one way to put it," she muttered, before nodding her head over to the exit. "Think you can at least try, or do you plan on proving to my brother just why you should never have been hired?" The blond laughed again, shaking his head as he fell into a slouch again. He wasn't wearing shoes... Seto looked down only briefly, before looking back to the door.

 

"Hahaha... Figured y'would say that... Looks like yer right though," he added, weak grin turned toward the woman. Right? "Can't ev'n walk on my own two legs, pretty pathetic huh? Leanin' on th' one I w's s'pposed t' protect f'r th' las' few months..." Seto's eyes narrowed, her initial scowl fading. Weak steps were made toward the door, her own fairly steady and confident ones accompanied by a hobbling limp from the blond. No... He wasn't supposed to admit she was right. He was supposed to argue against it, shout and bicker and complain about it! Not just roll

 

over as though it meant nothing! Gh... Her eyes drifted over the blond's head, a small slice on the side where blood had gathered and clotted. A bullet wound. Straight as it was the hair clung thickly to it, the blood a more murky and sticky black-red where it had started to dry. "Tch..." She turned away, half pulling the blond and half allowing him to walk on his own as they made their way to the door. "Whatever mutt," she muttered under her breath, the odd pair limping along the smooth marble floor before exiting into a well lit hall with plush red carpet. "Just realize that someone won't always be there for when you get yourself shot."

 

He frowned, turning upward. Hn? Didn't he realize he'd been sliced across the side of the head? "Shot..." The frown deepened, and he stared. "What're y' talking abou' Seto-ch-" He paused, the woman's eyes narrowing dangerously at the name before both of their gazes were moved to something in front of them. The ghost... "What th'..." She frowned, turning to look at the blond at her side with quiet suspicion. "Two..." He saw it? She raised her eyebrows, narrowed eyes continuing to stare at Jonouchi before turning back to the hovering form of her younger self. The sight seemed to render them both silent. Or maybe they were just tired of talking. Her own throat was incredibly dry, if she were to judge. Not so much that her disguised voice was coming with difficulty but even so, neither she nor the blond beside her sounded too healthy, and she'd admit that much. On her side it was hours upon hours of fatigue compounding with hunger and thirst, and on the 'mutt's it was a chase through a mansion culminating to a fall down the stairs.

 

She'd assume as much at least. With just a glance at the other they thus followed the 'spirit', the ghostly figure rushing ahead and gesturing for them to follow with an overeager and by her standards uncharacteristic grin on its face. ' _Follow me_ ,' it seemed to call, the two doing just that. ' _Follow me..!_ ' Silently moving down the halls they swallowed back whatever words they had for the other after that. Sunlight poured through the windows at the side, portraits hung on the walls...

 

They were in the eastern hall, she told herself idly. Likely the furthest possible point from the exit, but nonetheless that was where this ghost was headed. It was a long walk. Looking down at Jonouchi's feet had revealed sliced and shaven lines across the soles, the woman turning back to look at the spirit rather than dwell on the no longer bleeding feet. Idly she wondered why she wasn't simply looking for Mokuba... Or why the idiot at her side had bothered pulling her out of whatever hole Pegasus buried her in instead of leaving her to find her brother. Pulling her out and getting his feet torn up, a bullet to the head... It was strange, and stupid in her opinion. Completely moronic...

 

She was the one who Pegasus had locked away, and yet she was the one carrying this moron out of the castle. This injured, bleeding moron who was still grinning like the entire world had turned and bowed to him! This stupid, god-damned _mutt_ who had...

 

She couldn't bring herself to hate him for this she realized, continuing to follow after her 'other self' in silence. Couldn't bring herself to just rub the pathetic loser's face in the ground for that fact, for pulling her out of wherever the hell she was instead of just leaving her be. Why the hell had he gotten himself shot up? His feet sliced into tatters, shoes gone, hair matted and stained? To spite Pegasus? To spite her? ...Or even just... For her?

 

She narrowed her eyes, continuing on the walk. Why the hell would anyone, this moron in particular do such a thing? He hated her, and she hated him, end of story! The only reason why she had initially tolerated him, if one could have even called it that, was to use him against his own friend. To build up adequate rage and fear to make it all the more sweet when she won the match of that stupid, disgusting waste of time and money.

 

She hadn't even won that match, only lost. After which she hadn't seen anything... Just darkness. And maybe a puzzle? Eyes narrowed with thought for a moment she shook it from mind yet again. They were coming to the entrance now. The ghost was just hovering there, staring at them expectantly as they came through the courtyard to the final door. Seto tensed, Jonouchi suddenly moving his arm off her shoulder and falling off to the side of the main gate's door. "...What the hell are you doing?" she muttered, eyes narrowed. What was this, some last form of bravado, some way of preventing anyone from seeing how weak he was? ...How close to passing out they both were? Hn! "Unwilling to show your 'friends' just how far gone you are, 'Mutt'?"

 

Again Jonouchi merely laughed, leaning against the statue that stood along side the gate entrance and shaking his head. Gh... Stop taking her comments so lightly! "Nah," he said, looking toward the small 'spirit' to the side and smiling. "I jus' figured y' wouldn' want me in th' way f'r this..." What? The blond nodded his head towards the stairs, his same 'stupid smile' seeming less stupid and more... Something else she couldn't actually think of, much to her annoyance. "There's someone who wants t' see yah," he muttered, letting himself slide to a slumped and seated position on the ground. What? "Someone who's been waitin' f'r a long time, Seto-chan..."

 

"Gh..." Don't call her-

 

She froze, as from behind a loud shout pierced the air. The ghost was gone from its original position, making way for something else. "Nee... Nii-sama..!" The woman turned eyes wide as she moved toward the edge of the staircase. That voice. That voice, that was... Eyes widened as she spotted her brother, the boy charging up the stairs with tear-filled eyes. It was him... He was... "SETO-NIISAMA!" the boy shouted, locket swinging through the air alongside his bandanna, feet skipping every second and third step as he ran. She couldn't move. She just stared with wide eyes, breath caught in her throat. He was alive. He was alive and he was...

 

He was there... "Mokuba," she whispered, taking a weak step forward before finding her voice again. "MOKUBA!" Mokuba charged up the stairs, arms held out as Seto herself did the same. He was alive...

 

The boy jumped the last few steps, arms latching around her waist and easily knocking her off her feet. He was alive, and healthy, and... She held him close, eyes squeezed shut as her brother cried into her arms. And he was there. "Nee-sama," he whispered, burying his head into her jacket to the point where he resembled little more than a mop of black hair. He was here. He was still alive, and he was here... "Nee-sama," he cried quietly, the sounds of footsteps halting part-way on the stairs becoming nothing more than a mere whisper in her ears in comparison to the words. Like anyone else mattered, this was her brother damn it... This was... "You're here," he whispered, as though not believing his own words. "You're here... You're here... I... I was..."

 

"It's ok," she whispered, sitting up and holding him tight. It was ok, everything was ok. She swallowed, her own head bowed into her brother's shoulder as the boy cried. She was shaking wasn't she? A bunch of morons were watching her sit there and... Who cared anymore, her brother was... "It's ok Mokuba," she whispered, partially reassuring herself as well. It was ok... It was all over... "I'll never leave again, never... Never again," she repeated, almost in a mantra. "Never... I promise you..." As they sat there for some reason she felt something 'click' into place, completing itself... Filling itself in, removing an absence that had been sitting in her mind since she woke up. Filling in a shadow, a void... An empty space that hadn't belonged. "Never again," she repeated once more, still shaking as they sat there. "Never again, Mokuba..."

 

It was a promise...

 

* * *

 

It had been really hard to walk, with his feet cut up like they were. Probably his own fault knocking the vase over and then running over it but... Well, for the moment, just sitting there was a good break- much as he wanted to tell the others he was fine, he didn't feel like interrupting the two in front of him. Sure, it hurt... Everywhere really, thanks to all the crap that went on at the stair case. Feet, shoulders... He was in so much pain right now. But watching those two he couldn't keep the smile off his face, the blond holding his tongue and leaning back against the statue in silence. Man...

 

He turned his head, watching as the small, spirit-counterpart of Seto gave him a similar smile. "Hey," he muttered, mostly under his breath as the girl continued to smile. "Looks like you c'n jus go back t' bein' you now, right?" The ghost nodded, hands held outward as something shimmered into existence. "Huh..?" In her hands... The smile on the girl's face grew, and from nothing but thin air came a small piece of gold matching the sphere in her grip. And the sphere itself... Lines filled it completely, like a puzzle almost. The girl leaned over, coming to her knees as the piece slipped into the puzzle perfectly. For a brief moment, it glowed brilliantly. And then it misted away, its owner whispering just one thing as she evaporated into the air. ' _...Thank you..._ '

 

"Katsuya-nii..." Katsuya turned his head blankly from where the ghost had vanished, watching as Mokuba looked up from where he was still clutching his sister tight. There was visible confusion (And possibly anger) on the woman's face with the name- He expected it really, given that last she'd heard he was still 'Jonouchi' to the boy but good on her to keep quiet and let the kid run over when he pulled out of the hug. "K-Katsuya-nii!" the boy repeated, eyes looking over the blond's feet and head both. "What happened to you..!?" What happened? His eyes drifted down to his torn up feet, moving back to the boy in question as Seto stood up from where she had been sitting. There'd been something sticky on the side of his neck too...

 

He didn't bleed that much though right? "Eh," he muttered, still smiling despite the pain. Feet were probably the worst of it for now... "It'll heal righ'?" Mokuba merely stared, eyes wide as he turned to his sister.

 

"Ne... Nii-sama," he asked, the woman merely staring at the blond blankly. "What happened?" The woman blinked, before moving over to stand beside her brother in silence a moment. Was she frowning?

 

"He took a bullet," she said bluntly, before moving to pull him to his feet. "Among other stupid things..." H-Hey! It wasn't stupid! ...Hell, she didn't even know what happened and- W-Woah... He shook, gripping the statue at the side and looking at Seto oddly as the woman continued. "...Come on Mutt," she muttered, looking down at her brother and nodding her head toward the stairs as they moved. "I'm not leaving a member of my staff in this hellhole." Was that possessiveness there? He turned, blinking as he was pulled toward the stairs before pulling out of the woman's grip and

grabbing the railing at the side.

 

"Heh..." Katsuya shook his head, smirking lightly despite the sting of pain in the foot on the ground. "Don' think about it," he said, limping down the stairs. "It's no big deal," he continued, hissing as he stepped on a particularly sharp bit of rock on the steps.

 

"K-Katsuya-nii," Mokuba muttered, Seto again wincing at the name he used for the blond. Well, it was better than a voice protest he supposed... (He'd kinda expected one...) "I don't think you should be walking, your feet are really..." The boy swallowed, before the three all turned their head to the group that had gathered in the middle of the stairs. The others had just made their way up the final flight, only to freeze at the sight of them. Mokuba stared as well for a moment, before finishing what he'd been saying quietly. "...Cut up..."

 

Yugi was there, the 'normal' one. And Honda, Anzu, Bakura, all of them... He smirked, the expression growing into a grin despite the wide eyes that the others had. "Hey," he said weakly, the two behind him keeping silent. The others all had about the same expressions on their faces. Wide eyes, slightly open mouths... "How y' doin?" Probably better than he was. Owwwww his throat hurt... How the hell did falling down a staircase affect his throat?

 

Anzu was the first to speak, Yugi merely walking forward as he gripped an envelope in his hands. "J-Jonouchi," she said with a cough, eyes wide as the blond slumped over the rail. Oooh boy, screw his neck and feet, his arms were pretty shot too. This was kinda pathetic. Seto was keeping oddly silent now that he thought about it though. Kinda expected a comment on him being a worthless dog by this point. Course, she was probably just keeping quiet because Mokuba wasn't complaining, and was instead looking at Katsuya with the same if not more intense expression that Anzu and the others were sending the blond's way. It was something to keep out of for Mokuba's sake he supposed... Or at least keep out of until the woman figured out why Mokuba was acting like that. "Jonouchi," the woman repeated, moving forward to bring a hand toward the scrape on his head. "What..."

 

"Ack!" He hissed, pulling back as Anzu did the same. Shit... Whatever the hell happened to his head, it hurt a lot!

 

Anzu swallowed, pulling her hand back before taking a step back. "Sorry," she muttered, biting her lip. "It really does look..." Bad? Someone get him a mirror or something so he could see for himself damn it, he knew it hurt but...

 

In front of him Yugi was still staring, before finally opening his mouth to speak. "Jonouchi-kun," he whispered, eyes not moving from the bloodied mat on the side of his friend's head. Was it really that bad? Really? "You..." He swallowed, handing the blond the envelope with shaking hands. Eh? What was this? "I want you to take this, for your sister alright?" As Katsuya blinked Seto turned from beside them. Right... She probably didn't know about his sister huh. The envelope in question looked like it was thickly filled, a small wax seal over the centre of it. Was this... This was the prize wasn't it! Two hundred thousand dollars US. Sixteen million plus yen...

 

He hesitated, before taking the envelope with a nod. "...Yugi," he muttered, frowning as he looked from the envelope to his friend. "Yugi... 's it really ok if I take this money..?"

 

"W-What are you talking about Katsuya-nii," Mokuba protested, the woman behind him turning with slightly raised eyebrows. The boy frowned, staring at him as Katsuya turned. "If... If you take this, doesn't that mean Shizuka-chan will..." He shook his head, turning up to Seto for a moment with an odd look as Yugi continued.

 

His hands were held firmly at his sides, eyes wide and almost eerily certain of themselves. This look... "Jonouchi-kun," he said clearly, the others falling silent as he spoke. He wasn't changing his mind on this. "I never intended to keep this money," he stated rather clearly, frowning slightly. "And even if you hadn't made it this far," he continued, "I would have given you this prize... But Jonouchi-kun... You were the real champion of the kingdom! Even though you didn't fight against Pegasus through a duel... Even with that..." He smiled, Katsuya watching as the boy stepped back and continued. "I don't know what happened after your duel with Keith," the boy said, smile widening. "But with all that happened... My words are still the same, understand?"

 

"Y ...Yugi..." He jumped slightly, watching as Honda lightly pushed past the others to grab him by the arm and pull him over his shoulder. "O-Oi," he muttered, grumbling as Bakura joined in on the other side to grab his second arm. The two teens slowly made their way past Anzu and Yugi to help him down the stairs, the blond growling at the effort. H-Hey! C-Come on, at least with Seto she'd left him alone at the top of the stairs when he'd refused help! He could do this on his own, really! "I'm fine! Let me down!"

 

The taller of the teens merely snorted, adjusting his grip on the blond's arm. "That's bullshit and you know it," Honda said with a frown, hoisting the blond awkwardly off his feet. Toes dangled just above the stairs a moment, Katsuya frowning as he looked at his friend. "Come on man," the teen continued, "We gotta find a way off this island... Yugi's right you know," he continued, turning to Katsuya with a slight frown. H-Heh? What? "I don't know what the hell went on in there but..." He shook his head, giving the blond an oddly honored stare as he spoke. "Compared to what Bakura and I did to get Mokuba out..."

 

Bakura nodded, looking at Katsuya worriedly with those words. "That's right... We knew that you'd been pulled to the side, like Yugi-kun said but..." He swallowed, the others following slowly behind as they walked down the stairs. "Well... To be frank, I don't think we expected you to come back in this condition..." 'This condition'? Come on...

 

It was just pain, he could deal with it! He snorted, shaking his head as the two carrying him adjusted their hold once again. "Aw c'mon," he muttered, deciding to just let himself get carried down the stairs at this point. Given that they obviously weren't planning on it anytime soon... ...And it did hurt like hell to move right now... "It ain't that bad... What abou' th' time I w's off school f'r my eyes," he asked Honda, raising his eyebrows as he gave a weak nod. He even had scars for that one!

 

...Scars on his _eyes_...

 

Honda merely shook his head, still frowning. "Your head's bleeding man, I don't think that really compares for the moment if you can't even walk." Eh? His head was bleeding? He shook it off, instead focusing on the other matter at hand.

 

"Heh! I would walk if y'd let me," he growled, a quiet and weak laugh coming from his friends in response. Oh sure, laugh at his expense damn it... "Hahhh..." Looked like it was pretty much hopeless to argue. Walking down the stairs was mostly filled with silence after that point, the group slowly making their way steadily downward. The mood would have been destroyed by words, and the fact was with all that happened Katsuya was just looking forward to getting back home. Getting back to Seto and Mokuba's house, and collapsing on the bed that had finally started feeling like 'his'...

 

Getting to the bottom of the stairs however, the mood was partially interrupted as Mokuba ran forward to grab Seto's briefcase from the ground, carrying it off with the woman as they both turned to the group. Huh. Well, at least that didn't end up lost then. The blond stared at the two, watching as they stood there in silence for a few moments. It was an odd look in Seto's eyes, that was for sure. As though she was attempting to hold a glare but only serving to stare blankly at the group in confusion. Like something was just bugging her so much that she couldn't even hold the usually ice-cold stare.

 

"Yugi," she finally said, the boy slowly giving a small, slightly hesitant nod in response. "...I owe you for saving Mokuba... But tell the 'Other Yugi'," she continued, turning away with a small nod if her own as the others stared, "That our battle isn't over yet!" Huh... So she knew about the 'two Yugi's' too then... And still held a vendetta with one. Heh! He smirked slightly, shaking his head. Wouldn't have it any other way. As Mokuba and Seto started walking away to leave the others to their business, Anzu frowned, turning to the others.

 

"Ah... Does anyone actually know how we're getting back..?" Eh?

 

As the others frowned, Bakura shook his head, a rather sheepish wince on his face. "Not really... I'm sorry to say it but," he continued, rubbing his head embarrassingly, "There aren't any more boats on this island... I looked out from the castle, but I couldn't even see a boat house..." Aw hell, wasn't that great. And Seto of course was ignoring them with a fairly smug if not slight smile. Damn it...

 

"Well," she said moving off with a slightly more amused (if not clearly happier) air about her. "I suppose you small fry will just have to swim!" Yeah, because if it took six hours by boat that made a hell of a lot of sense right? "Come on Mokuba," she said quietly, continuing to move before the boy frowned. "...Mokuba?"

 

"O-Oi, Nii-sama," he asked, briefcase still held tightly in both hands. A rather clear frown was on his face, and he gestured to the others. "We can take them with us on the helicopter can't we? They're my friends... And there's still enough room for everyone isn't there?" Seto visibly tensed, turning back with wide and incredulous eyes as her brother continued. "Let's take them with," he stated, the frown disappearing into a smile. "We owe them right?"

 

She merely stared, growing rather still as she took in her brother's words. "...What!" Hahahaha! Oh come on, it was like Mokuba had said! They were friends, had been for a while! Wasn't like she couldn't deal with that right?

 

"Please?" the boy asked with a small whine, his older sister quite clearly seething before them. "It won't cause any problems, honest!" Oh boy... Mokuba never did this before when Seto was awake.

 

The woman continued to grit her teeth before them, before finally she turned back and walking off. "Fine," she snarled, the others smiling nervously and following after the two siblings as Mokuba quickly and eagerly followed after the woman. "But only because you helped get Mokuba back, understand?" There was nothing but nervous laughter in response, Mokuba grinning the entire trip

back to the helicopter as they started down the dirt path. "Once we're back in Japan," the woman continued, likely red in the face for the moment as they entered the woods where the helicopter sat, "We're even! Got it?"

 

Still more nervous laughter as they travelled on, and Seto and Mokuba both hopped into the cockpit seats the moment they found the helicopter. The others followed, Mokuba busying himself with putting the briefcase at the side before poking his head through the door between the cockpit and cabin room. "Ah... I think there's a first aid kit out there," he stated with a blank look on his face, Anzu walking in to look for it with Yugi as the others awkwardly pulled Katsuya in. "I'm gonna help up here ok? Take off in two minutes!" A grin came over his face as he leaned back on the chair, laughing as muttered 'yes'es and 'yeah's came through the room in response. "Hehehe... You guys better thank my Nii-sama for letting you on the helicopter alright?"

 

There was a flurry of nods, the doors to the helicopter closing with some difficulty as the others made themselves somewhat comfortable. It was a tight fit. Still enough room for Anzu to try and clean his head wound of course though, and as the woman pulled out some anestethic wipes for his head he had to wince. Here it came and...

 

"Hsssssffff!" He pulled back as the wipe touched the graze at the side of his head, Anzu frowning in response.

 

"Oh hold still," she muttered, moving forward again in an action that wasn't unlike the events much earlier in the morning with Yugi. "What are you six?" He scowled, biting his lip but nonetheless caving in as Anzu continued to work on his head before pulling out some gauze. Sheesh. Either way, he decided as the engine started up. Concerning the room in here...

 

"Ngggh..." He winced as the helicopter slowly began running, rotors spinning rapidly as the vehicle began to rise up into the air. "'S tight..."

 

Yugi nodded in agreement, laughing nervously as he made to help Anzu with the gauze. "I don't think it's made for this many people..."

 

There was some growling from the front as Honda also began voicing his opinion on the matter, before Seto's voice could be heard. "Mokuba," she asked somewhat tensely, gripping the controls of the helicopter as her brother buckled himself into the seat beside her. "Would you mind shutting the door so I don't have to deal with their apparently ungrateful whining for the next six hours?" Awww, they weren't that bad were they?

 

Mokuba laughed, turning around to do just that as he grabbed the sliding door. "Sorry guys," he said with a grin, the others watching as he slowly pulled it over. "But Nii-sama is driving..."

 

"Heh!" Katsuya merely grinned, shaking his head before wincing when Anzu lightly smacked him for ruining the bandage process on his wound. Ow... He turned back to the door, shrugging. "'S fine Mokuba..." The door shut, and he leaned back against the seat while Anzu finished tying up the bandage. "Man," he muttered as the woman pulled out some more wipes, roughly grabbing his first foot. "What a day... Ffff!"

 

He jerked back, before reluctantly biting his lip after receiving a 'warning look' from Anzu in response. Ehehehe... Right right. Ignoring the sharp sting from the wipes, he pulled out the envelope from his pocket, looking over at Yugi. The boy was currently digging through the first aid kit for more bandage material for his feet. His eyes drifted back to the envelope, before he returned it to his pocket.

 

"Yugi," he said, the wincing frown on his face shifting to a more blank and serious expression. "This money... I really owe y' one man..." With this... There was a chance for Shizuka to get better. Heh! Maybe he and Mokuba could actually drag Seto off to Osaka, have them meet! He pushed the thoughts from his mind, watching as Yugi looked up from the first aid kit to shrug.

 

Looked kinda interesting, with all those bandages in his arms... "It's fine," the boy said with a laugh, handing a few rolls of gauze to Anzu as the woman wrapped up the now clean foot. "Really..." He paused, eyes suddenly growing blank for a few moments. H-H-Hey. What the he- "Ah..." Yugi blinked, looking down at his puzzle a moment before turning back to the blond as though nothing had happened. "Though the other me says that it's fine if you 'owe him one' until the day you beat him..." He smiled nervously, scratching his cheek. "I just hope he doesn't get carried away with that..." The other Yugi said that?

 

...Wait, they could talk to each other now? (Was that what the space out was for..?) Anzu blinked, looking at the boy before turning to an equally nervous Katsuya as she grabbed more wipes to deal with his other foot. "..Why," she asked, frowning slightly as the blond bit his lip against the sting again. "What's your and Yugi's record?"

 

He gave a slightly pained laugh, rubbing the back of his now loosely bandaged head and forcing himself to think of something other than his foot. "Ehe... Well," he said with a cough, briefly wondering how the hell getting tased and sucker punched in the face could hurt less than this, "Startin' from las' week an' countin' t'day..." He bit his lip, mentally counting up the amount of times before answering. "Eh... Zero wins, a hundred eighty-seven losses..." At this, the others stared, Honda giving a loud ' _oooo-boy_ ' as he turned away with wide eyes. Yeah... Yeah it was a big number.

 

Anzu kept quiet for a few moments and paused in her work, before shaking her head and continuing. "Wow," she muttered, tossing the used wipes to the side and grabbing the next roll of gauze. "...Good luck with that Jonouchi..."

 

"Oi oi..." He narrowed his eyes, sitting up with a growl. "What's that s'pposed t' mean..?"

 

Honda grinned, shrugging from where he was sitting beside Anzu. "Nothing... We're just saying you've got a lot of... Hn... A lot of work ahead of you!" Which was another way of saying he'd never make it damn it!

 

"Hondaaaa-!" A loud thunk noise came over the air, helicopter abruptly veering to the side as the passengers were flung to the opposite end. Anzu had only just barely finished tying up the last bandage, slowly pulling herself up to sit by Yugi as the boy gathered the fallen items from the first aid kit with a flustered expression in place. "H-Haah!" The copter righted itself within a few moments of the jolt, Katsuya turning to the window with wide eyes. Holy shit... Did something hit them or- "What th' he-" His eyes widened, watching as a familiar blond woman began chasing after the copter from below. "HHeh..? M-Mai!"

 

"Oh shit," Honda muttered, peering out the window as well. "She's still here?" Apparently so. Honda was quickly moved aside as Katsuya grabbed the handle to the door, throwing it open as wind whipped in their faces. Ohhhh shit, this was a lot rougher than he expected... He spat a few strands of hair from his face, before leaning further out the door to look down. "HEEEEY!" Mai continued to run after them, voice somewhat clear over the sound of the copter. It was kinda hard to hear but... Well, she was down there, bag hanging around her shoulder and helicopter 'winds' pushing back at the woman to a slight extent.

 

"TAKE ME WITH YOU!" she shouted, waving her hand above her head as she continued to run. Katsuya blinked, before smiling and turning down to the side. Take her with eh? Who was he to refuse that after the earlier card deal? He blinked as his eyes fell on something just behind the door, the blond smirking. Well look at that... A rope ladder, bolted to the side and everything!

 

"Heh..." He pushed it out, leaning out the door and grinning as the ladder itself clattered in the wind. "OI, MAI," he shouted, the ladder dangling just a foot or so off the ground at its full length. "GRAB ON!" The copter gave another shudder as they flew, Mai hurriedly grabbing onto the end with a nod and managing to pull herself up a few rungs with difficulty. And not a moment too soon; by the time she was on the sixth rung up, the copter had just passed over the coast line and into a safe position to increase speed, a loud roar of wind meeting the group's ears in response.

 

"WHOOOOOO!" A loud shout came from below, water misting into the woman's face as she climbed up. "Now that's something I never thought I'd end up doing in life," she continued loudly, making her way up the ladder. "What took you so long," she shouted, climbing up as the copter slowly gained a bit of air before moving on. "I must have been running for ten minutes down there!"

 

"Hehehe... Least we made it," he shouted back, leaning over in an attempt to hold the ladder somewhat steady against the wind. "W-Woahh.." He shook, gripping the sides of the door. S-Shit! "Aaaaagh! I'm gonna fall!" His fingers began to slip, blood draining from his face before he was pulled back.

 

"Hold on Jonouchi," Honda said with a laugh, gripping the blond by the back of his jacket and pulling him in. "Sheesh," he muttered, turning his head back down as Mai continued her way up the ladder. "We just finished patching you up, don't go drowning on everyone..."

 

The blond scowled, pulling himself back into his seat and crossing his arms. "Nyhhh... Like that'll actually happen..." He wasn't about to drown, sheesh...

 

"Like 'what' will actually happen?" The group turned as Mai came into the copter, the woman pulling herself and the ladder in with slight difficulty before the door was closed behind her. She looked around, blinking as the room abruptly fell silent in the absence of the ambient noise. "...Well," she muttered, resting a hand on the side wall. "Isn't this crowded..."

 

Honda shrugged, the teen currently leaning against the cockpit door to make room for the woman. "Yeah well..." He smirked, attempting to keep the blush he had from getting a close up view of the woman's 'shirt' under control. "Try not to let Kaiba know, I don't think he's too happy about his brother letting us all hitch a ride..."

 

She merely smirked, glancing at the door before her eyes fell on Katsuya. "...Yeah," she said quietly, taking in the boy's bandages. "I bet..." She swallowed, before moving toward the blond across from her. "My god though," she muttered, Katsuya moving back as Mai brought a hand to the bandaged wound on his head. "What on earth happened to you? You look terrible!"

 

Tell him something he didn't know! At least he was somewhat wrapped up now... Katsuya shrugged, arms still crossed as a small smile came back over his face. "Eh," he muttered, leaning back on his seat. "'S a long story..."

 

"Is it now," Mai asked with a raised eyebrow, before taking a seat on the floor and leaning against her bag. "Well," the woman decided with a small smirk, her own arms crossed. "I have a feeling we'll be in here for a while... Why not share?," she continued, the others as well turning to listen. Share that? He swallowed, looking around at the others before snorting in response. Heh. It was pretty crazy but...

 

"Eh," he muttered with a grin, pulling himself up in the seat before leaning back on the side again. "I Guess yer right..." The smirk was replaced with a somewhat thoughtful look, the blond turning himself slightly to face the others as he thought of where to start. "Lesse... Guess I outta begin from when th' announcer guy lead me off..." Now how to do this...

 

Well. Not like there wasn't a better way to pass the time. Re-telling what he'd done through the afternoon while obviously leaving out a few... 'Questionable' things, he found the things taking a fair amount of his mind off the pain in his feet. Not to mention the time the ride was taking, or the fact that his last meal had been a few spoons of soup the night before...

 

All the same watching as the island outside the window slowly disappeared in the distance he was really only half there with the story. The other half was just staring blankly out the window with disbelief. It was all over. All of it. The crazy dreams, the card game 'battle fields', the creepy giant eyes...

 

All over.

 

Heh.

 

By the time his story came to an end the sun had sunk below the horizon, and Tokyo's shoreline was a grey line in the distance. The castle and the island it sat on was long gone in the meantime, nothing more than a spot on the ocean. All over and all gone, every part of it he thought as he leaned back on his seat. The others were quiet themselves by the time he finished, a few holding muttered conversation or simply waiting for the ride to end. Seats had re-arranged. Anzu was now talking with Mai, the three guys sitting on the bench.

 

And it was all over. Staring out the window, only a few words really came to mind as he sat there.

 

Good-bye, 'Duelist Kingdom'.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This marks the end of the Duelist Kingdom Arc! I want to thank everyone who has been following the re-upload process; both new, and old (and I do hope the 'old' are enjoying the minor fixes as I go along)!
> 
> Keep your eyes peeled for the next arc, and the first 'Intermission' arc as it can be called- 'Strands of the Solstice'- followed by the next true arc, The Legendary Heroes!


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